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TITLE:  Dear Colleague Letter: Increasing College Opportunity Through
        Improved Mathematics Success in the First Two Years of College
	(nsf15026)
DATE:   12/4/2014


   NSF 15-026

Dear Colleague Letter: Increasing College Opportunity Through Improved
Mathematics Success in the First Two Years of College

   December 4, 2014

   Dear Colleague:

   Students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and
   mathematics (STEM) and STEM-related careers have challenges moving
   ahead unless they have successful experiences in mathematics in their
   first one or two years of college[1]^1. The Directorate for Education
   and Human Resources (EHR) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) is
   pursuing a multi-faceted approach to funding efforts to help us
   understand and improve learning in mathematics to support college
   success. This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) highlights funding
   opportunities for innovative, early-stage work to improve success in
   mathematics in the first two years of college. This includes studies on
   ways to improve the learning of the content of developmental
   mathematics, independent of setting, and design and development work on
   interventions and tools, including technology-enhanced learning
   approaches.

   Researchers are invited to submit supplemental funding requests for
   existing awards; to use the EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory
   Research (EAGER) funding mechanism, which supports exploratory work in
   its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research
   ideas or approaches; or submit proposals for conferences to support the
   following types of activities:
   
     * design and development work to pilot innovations with high impact
       potential for helping students learn the mathematics generally
       taught in the first two years of both 2-year and 4-year
       postsecondary institutions
	   
     * conferences in 2015 on using research to improve student success in
       the mathematics generally taught in the first two years in the
       first two years of college.

   Mechanisms of Support:

   Proposers may request supplemental funding to existing awards,
   Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) funding, or
   funding for conferences:
   
     * Proposers may immediately submit a request for supplemental funding
       to any existing EHR awards with an end date beyond fiscal year 2015
       by prefixing the title with "MATH: Supplement. Additional
       information about requesting supplemental support is contained in
       the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
       Part II: Award and Administration Guide (AAG), Chapter I.E.4
       available at:
       [2]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.
	   
     * Researchers may also immediately submit EAGER proposals to programs
       in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources and prefix the
       title with "MATH: EAGER:" Proposals must conform to the guidelines
       for preparation of EAGER proposals (including the requirement to
       discuss with a program officer prior to submission) as specified in
       the PAPPG Part I: Grant Proposal Guide (GPG), Chapter II.D.2
       available at:
       [3]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.
	   
     * Researchers may also immediately submit conference proposals to
       programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources and
       prefix the title with "MATH: CONFERENCE:" Instructions for
       preparing proposals for conferences can be found in the GPG,
       Chapter II.D.9 available at:
       [4]http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.

   Questions should be addressed to: [5]MathDCL@NSF.gov. This DCL is
   expected to be in effect from December 4, 2014, through May 1, 2015.
   All proposals should be submitted by May 1, 2015.

   Sincerely,

   Joan Ferrini-Mundy
   Assistant Director
   Education and Human Resources

   [6]^1 National Science and Technology Council, Committee on STEM
   Education (2013) [7]Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and
   Mathematics (STEM) Education 5-Year Strategic Plan.

References

   1. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15026/nsf15026.htm#_ftn1
   2. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag
   3. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
   4. http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg
   5. mailto:MathDCL@NSF.gov
   6. http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15026/nsf15026.htm#_ftnref1
   7. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/
      stem_stratplan_2013.pdf