October 31, 2022

Draws attention to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 concerning the waiving of the mandatory cost-sharing requirement for future Noyce proposals and awards for five years.

Dear Colleagues:

This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeks to inform the community that the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) program will be releasing a new solicitation in calendar year 2023 to align with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law. 117-167). Section 10320 of this Act waives the mandatory cost-sharing requirements for the Noyce program for 5 years.

The current Noyce solicitation, NSF 21-578, supports STEM undergraduate majors and professionals in becoming effective K-12 STEM teachers in local educational agencies (a.k.a. school districts). It also supports experienced, exemplary K-12 (teachers of STEM subjects to become STEM master teachers in high-need school and under-resourced school districts. Fundamental, applied, and translational research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in urban, suburban, and rural high-need school districts is also supported. Broadly speaking, Noyce is a major investment of the National Science Foundation in helping to cultivate STEM K-12 talent and making sure that the country can reach individuals of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in every setting of the nation, including some of the most distressed and under-resourced K-12 contexts.

Eligible institutions are encouraged to consider the implications of the waiver of cost-sharing for future Noyce proposals submitted to Track 2 (NSF Teaching Fellowships [TF] Track), and Track 3 (NSF Master Teaching Fellowships [MTF] Track). The TF Track supports STEM professionals becoming certified or licensed elementary, middle, or high school teachers through the completion of a master's degree, as well as receiving a salary supplement every year for four years while teaching in a high-need school district. The MTF track supports experienced and exemplary STEM teachers (elementary, middle, and high school) with only a bachelor's degree to obtain a master's degree, as well as those with a master's degree, to receive a salary supplement for up to five years as they continue to teach in a high-need school district.

The waiver of the statutory cost-sharing requirement will be effective for future Noyce awards in Track 2 and Track 3 under the new solicitation. Current Noyce awardees must adhere to the terms and conditions of their award, including the mandatory cost-sharing in Tracks 2 and 3, consistent with the solicitation under which the award was made.

All questions related to this DCL should be directed to the cognizant program directors listed below.

• Kathleen B. Bergin, email: kbergin@nsf.gov
• Jennifer Ellis, email: jtellis@nsf.gov

Sincerely,

James L. Moore III
Assistant Director
Directorate for STEM Education