1. A Research and Development Effort
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, including Computing, Partnerships (STEM-C Partnerships)
A Research and Development Effort
STEM-C Partnerships: MSP
NSF
Partnerships Advancing K-12 STEM Education

2. PERMISSION TO RECORD
This webinar is being recorded. By participating in this webinar, you are giving permission that your comments may be recorded and shared.

3. Targeted Partnership Proposals
Webinar Goal
To examine the details of the STEM-C Partnerships: MSP Solicitation in order to assist you in writing a competitive proposal for submission on or before March 18, 2014 in the track for
Targeted Partnership Proposals
In one of 5 focal areas

4. STEM-C Partnerships Program
CE21 + Math Science Partnerships (MSP) = Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing Partnerships (STEM-CP)
Supports innovative partnerships, to improve teaching and learning in STEM disciplines, between K-12 school districts and an institution that brings disciplinary expertise in the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering and/or computer science and is actively engaged in the production of STEM teachers
Is a research and development effort
Seeks innovations in policies, pedagogies, programs and/or in STEM disciplinary courses that support pre-service STEM teachers, as well as in-service teachers
Elevates the inclusion of computer science in K-12 education

5. STEM-C Partnerships Deadlines and Brief Info
2 solicitations, NSF and NSF :
STEM-CP: MSP & STEM-CP: CE21
Full proposals due: March 18, 2014
STEM-C Partnerships: MSP (NSF )
A. Targeted Partnerships
(Implementation: $7.5m over 5 years; Prototype: $1.5m over 3 years)
Focal Areas
Community Enterprise for STEM Teaching & Learning
Current Issues Related to STEM Content
Teaching & Learning In Computer Science
Identifying and Cultivating Exceptional Talent
K-12 STEM Teacher Preparation
B. Computer Science Education Expansion ** ($500K supplements)

6. Community Enterprise for STEM Teaching and Learning
Expand the partnerships beyond school districts and higher education in order to provide and integrate necessary supports for students so they can learn challenging mathematics, science, engineering, and/or computer science.
These projects involve K-12 school districts with other partners to provide multifaceted resources that
broaden teaching and learning by incorporating additional STEM assets of the community, such as institutions of higher education, museums/zoos/parks/aquariums, science centers, business & industry, or national/state-funded science/engineering/technology laboratories and centers, and/or
address the social situations of students by engaging necessary and important community entities, such as social services, family/parent organizations, before/after school providers, or civic organizations.
The research agenda should be linked to the community aspect of the work. Documenting learning across formal and informal educational settings is encouraged

7. Current Issues Related to STEM Content
The focus is on innovative solutions related to current key issues in STEM education, such as, but not limited to, Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, engineering in the K-12 curriculum (both stand-alone and in interdisciplinary contexts), or as identified in a recent National Research Council report on successful K-12 STEM education
Proposals should:
be narrowly focused on one or a few related foundational concepts of the STEM disciplines
advance the capacity of the STEM education system to provide students with deep knowledge and facility related to these concepts
These projects can also consider the continuity of college and career ready standards in specific content domains, especially between high school and early postsecondary education.

8. Teaching and Learning in Computer Science
Proposals should:
Contribute evidence-based findings to the body of knowledge on teaching and learning of computer science within diverse teacher and student populations
Expand computer science opportunities for K-12 students in school and/or outside of school while increasing their knowledge of computing and/or computational skills, and computational thinking competencies
Proposals may:
Conduct basic research on the effects of teaching and learning of computational competencies in face-to-face or online settings, including games and other virtual environments
Design, develop, test, validate, and refine materials, measurement tools, and methods for teaching in specific learning contexts
Implement promising small-scale interventions to study the efficacy of interventions with particular groups

9. Identifying and Cultivating Exceptional Talent
The focus is on innovative mechanisms for both identifying and nurturing "all types of talents" in "all demographics of students" with creative ways of thinking and applying conceptual understandings in the STEM disciplines
Provide students with "coordinated, proactive, sustained formal and informal interventions to develop their abilities...at a pace, depth, and breadth commensurate with their talents and interests and in a fashion that elicits engagement, intellectual curiosity, and creative problem solving" and
Address the implementation of policies that foster a culture that "nurtures...innovative thinking." (NSB, 2010)

10. K-12 STEM Teacher Preparation
The focus is on innovations (beyond common place) in pre-service education and induction of K-12 teachers of science, mathematics, engineering, and/or computer science
Designing and studying the effectiveness of new teachers in terms of results on student learning is encouraged as is attention to the needs of the next generation of teachers to meet the demands of diverse learners
Supporting STEM teachers as professionals in practicing the art of teaching, from pre-service through induction years, is implicit in these projects
The STEM-C Partnerships program is particularly interested in innovations in the STEM preparation and induction of elementary teachers

11. Targeted Partnerships: Prototype (up to $1.5 mil over 3 years)
Explore potentially innovative educational approaches and strategies
Challenge conventional thinking while building on existing educational research
Examine relationship between malleable factors (such as student behavior, teacher practices, school programs, education policies) and education outcomes
Should present a well-explicated theory of action
Design framework should produce findings suitable for future broader implementation
Should include a compelling rationale
Specifies the practical problem the project is intended to address
Justifies the importance of this problem
Shows how the proposed research will inform the development of proposed approach and its potential for wider adoption
Uses Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development, particularly related to Early Stage/Exploratory Research or preliminary Design and Development Research
Strong theoretical and empirical rationale grounded in the STEM education literature

12. Targeted Partnerships: Implementation (up to $7.5 mil over 5 years)
Develop and put into practice innovative education approaches and strategies based on educational research
The Proposal should provide:
A description of the approaches to be implemented and the theory of action, including the relationship between key components
A compelling rationale that—
Specifies the practical problem the project is intended to address
Justifies the importance of this problem
Describes how the proposed approach is different from existing practices
Explains why the proposed approach/strategies have the potential to improve education outcomes or gain efficiencies for education systems beyond what current practices achieve.
Uses the Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development, particularly related to Design and Development research or Efficacy or Effectiveness Research
States a strong theoretical and empirical rationale based on STEM education literature

13. STEM-C: CE21 and STEM-C: MSP
STEM-CP: MSP solicitation
adds emphasis on computer science education but persists in prior MSP efforts to improve K-12 education in any of the natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, or computer science, as well as interdisciplinary approaches.
New track: Computer Science Education Expansion – open to previously funded MSP Partnerships (at HS level).
Targeted Partnerships: focal areas
Community Enterprise for STEM Teaching and Learning
Current Issues Related to STEM Content
Teaching and Learning in Computer Science
Identifying and Cultivating Exceptional Talent
K-12 STEM Teacher Preparation

14. Questions?

15. Important Factors to Keep in Mind
Improving K-12 STEM Education
Teaching and Learning
Student Outcomes
Institutional Partnership
Substantive Engagement of
Mathematicians - Scientists
Engineers - Computer Scientists
Implementing + Knowledge Building (research)
Resulting in
Improved Student Outcomes
Evidence-based Outcomes
Identifiable Institutional Change for Each Core Partner

16. Project Attributes Centers on improving STEM learning by K-12 students
Contributes to the literature on STEM teaching and learning, with an explicit research agenda
Involves at least one K-12 school district and at least one institution/organization that is actively engaged in teacher education (pre-service and/or in-service) and which brings STEM disciplinary expertise
Utilizes expertise of STEM disciplinary experts, educational researchers, and K-12 teachers and administrators, with individuals from the learning sciences
Partnership Driven—mutually beneficial
National Priorities—the project should address both identified local needs and issues of national import

17. Proposal Requirements speak to
Innovative Strategies—beyond the commonplace
Partnership Driven—leadership involvement of K-12 Core Partners, substantive engagement of disciplinary experts, with clearly defined roles
Teacher Quality, Quantity and Diversity—Designed to increase the capacity of pre-service and/or in-service teachers to enhance student learning in STEM, attending to the diversity of the teacher workforce
Challenging Courses and Curriculum—A description of what the K-12 students will be learning and/or the content and skills the pre-service or in-service teachers will learn
Evidence-based Design and Outcomes—Links to current research and studies including theoretical foundations to inform the project design and the research agenda (See Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development)
Institutional Change—Identifies institutional change that will result from the work for each Core Partner which will contribute to sustainability of project goals (policies, practices, programs)

18. Eligibility Information
The Partnership Leadership Team:
Cross-disciplinary teams including learning scientists, social scientists and education researchers, as well as STEM discipline-specific teachers, faculty, researchers and scientists
The team of PI and co-PIs must include individuals who represent the various fields that are the focus of the study
K-12 Core Partner organizational representative
Individual with an advanced STEM degree from a Core Partner (an engineer, scientist, mathematician, or computer scientist)
The PI must be an individual who can represent the Lead Institution

19. Eligibility Information cont.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: An individual may serve as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on only one Targeted STEM-C Partnership proposal (Prototype or Implementation) per focal area

20. Full Proposals include…
Cover Sheet
Project Summary
Project Description
References Cited
Biographical Sketch(es)
Budget
Budget Justification
Current and Pending Support
Facilities/Equipment & Other Resources
Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
Appendices (as described later)
Data Management Plan
Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (if applicable)
Must be in accordance with the Grant Proposal Guidelines NSF 14-1

21. Cover Sheet Select the NSF Unit Consideration Targeted
Check off Human Subjects box
pending or
indicate IRB approval date

22. Questions?

23. Proposal Development and Review Criteria
The remainder of the slides focus on:
Parts or the Proposal
Review Criteria
Tips for Success

24. Project Summary (1 page)
Overview
Title of proposed project
Name of the Lead Partner
Name(s) of additional Core Partner(s)
Name(s) of any supporting partner(s)
Brief description of project vision, goals, and work
Numbers of teachers to be directly engaged in the project
Number of new teachers that will be prepared
Number of students (including grade ranges) who will benefit
Intellectual Merit—potential to advance knowledge
Broader Impacts—potential to benefit society

25. Project Description (15 pages)—Vision, Goals and Outcomes
Project’s vision, goals and anticipated outcomes, linked to the stated theory of action
Project is informed by relevant baseline K-12 student and teacher data (include the data, along with quantitative outcome goals and annual benchmarks in the Supplementary Documentation section)
For K-12 partner(s), include a description of the context, policy endeavors, benefits, and contributions to the work of this Partner
For other Core Partner(s), include a description of context, prior involvement of the STEM experts with K-12 education, relevant institutional policies that reward that involvement, how this work will benefit the Partner, and contributions of the work of this Partner
Include evidence of
An effective partnership
Participation of all key stakeholders in planning, design, and management
Sufficient capacity to support the scale and scope of the project

26. Project Description (15 pages)—Implementation Framework
Describe the activities and strategies that will occur to obtain the Partnership’s intended outcomes
Clear rationale for strategic actions (beyond common approaches), tied to literature in STEM education
What the Partnership intends to do
How the Partnership will do it

27. Project Description (15 pages)— Research Framework
Research Questions, including how the project design will allow warranted claims about the contribution of partnership activities to the measured outcomes
Methodology should be determined by the research questions
Individual(s) who will conduct the research should be identified
Must be beyond evaluation to evidence-producing (See Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development)
Include research or evidence base
Identify instruments used to measure outcomes
Explain the logic from design to outcomes
Describe how each partner contributes, especially STEM discipline experts

28. Project Description (15 pages)—Evaluation Plan
All STEM-C Partnerships projects must be subject to a series of external, critical reviews
This may include third-party evaluators, an external review panel, or advisory board
Should be sufficiently independent and rigorous to influence the project’s activities and improve the quality of its findings
Should include formative and summative components
Summative evaluation should generate evidence of project impact vs. intended outcomes
Successful proposals:
Describe the expertise of the external reviewer(s)
Explain how that expertise relates to the goals and objectives of the proposal
Specify how the PI will report and use results of the project’s external, critical review process

29. Project Description (15 pages)—Management Plan
Demonstrate that all partners are fully engaged
Describe in detail the specific roles, responsibilities and time commitments of the members of the Partnership Leadership Team
Provide the number of STEM experts who will be engaged in the work and describe their contributions (listed in a Disciplinary Partner table in the Supplementary Documentation)
Project Timeline correlated with proposed action plan, quantitative outcome goals and annual benchmarks (which are described in the Supplementary Documentation section)

30. Project Description (15 pages)—Institutional Change and Sustainability
Describe how the proposed action plan will result in institutional change within each Core Partner organization
Include plans to redirect resources
Include plans to develop/revise and implement policies and practices critical for the work of the Partnership

31. Project Description (15 pages)—Results from Prior NSF Support
Limited to 5/15 pages
Must include information on NSF awards received by a PI or co-PI within the last 5 years
If a PI or co-PI has received more than one award, s/he must report on the one award most closely related to the proposal
Describe lessons learned including successes and failures
Indicate how the proposed work differs from, builds on, or is otherwise informed by prior efforts, especially those supported by NSF
Must include 6 items (see GPG NSF 14-1)
NSF award number, amount and period of support
Title of project
Summary of the results of the completed work, including accomplishments, described in two separate sections related to the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
Publications resulting form the NSF award
Evidence of research products and their availability
If the proposal is for renewed support, description of the relation of the completed work to the proposed work

32. Biographical Sketches
Provide a Biographical Sketch for the PI
Co-PI(s)
External Project Evaluator
Must not exceed 2 pages per individual
May include a list of up to 5 publications most closely related to the proposed endeavor

33. Budget and Budget Justification
Must be consistent with the GPG NSF 14-1 and with the scope and complexity of the proposed activities
Senior personnel salary compensation is limited to no more than two months of their regular salary in any one year, including compensation from all NSF-funded grants
However, if any compensation for such personnel in excess of two months is anticipated, it must be disclosed in the proposal budget, justified in the budget justification, and must be specifically approved by NSF in the award

34. Current and Pending Support
Include Current and Pending Support information for the Principal Investigator and all co-Principal Investigators

35. Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
Appendices uploaded as a separate PDF file not to exceed 25 pages
Baseline Data for Students and Teachers
Relative to student achievement or teacher capacity
Disaggregated for students
Demographics of teachers
Annual Benchmarks and Outcome Goals
Quantitative (and qualitative)
Linked to project strategies/activities
Partnership Leadership Team
Describe roles and responsibilities and time committed
Disciplinary Partners
Commitment to Institutional Change
Letters from Senior Administrators in Core Partner institutions/organizations
Other letters of Substantive Commitment

36. Special Information and Supplementary Documentation
Data Management Plan
no more than 2 pages
See the EHR DMP guidelines for more information:
Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan
Required if there is a funding request for one or more postdoctoral scholars on line B1 of the budget
Note: these do not apply to the 25 page supplementary documentation limitation

37. Review Criteria
An outline of the review process is available in the GPG as Exhibit III-1.
NSF Merit Review Criteria:
Intellectual Merit: the potential to advance knowledge
Broader Impacts: the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes

38. Merit Review Criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
The following element are considered in the review of both criteria
What is the potential for the proposed activity to
Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?
Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?

39. Merit Review Criteria cont.
Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project.
NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to:
full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM);
improved STEM education and educator development at any level;
increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology;
improved well-being of individuals in society;
development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce;
increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others;
improved national security;
Increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

40. STEM-C Partnerships: MSP Specific Review Criteria
Is science, mathematics, computer science, and/or engineering expertise from Core Partners deeply and broadly involved in the proposed work?
Is the potential high for strategic impact on teaching and learning and is the research likely to be of high importance to STEM education?
Does the proposal clearly identify one of the five focal areas and provide an implementation plan explicitly linked to the project’s state theory of action?

41. What Makes a Proposal Competitive?
Strong Partnership team
Innovative/original ideas
Succinct, focused project plan
Sufficient detail provided
Solid evaluation plan
Rationale and evidence of potential effectiveness
Potential contribution to knowledge
Likelihood of sustainability
Appropriate budget consistent with the scope and complexity of the proposed work

42. Tips for Success Alert the Sponsored Research Office
Read the program solicitation and GPG
Test drive FastLane
Alert the Sponsored Research Office
Follow page and font size limits
Discuss other projects, advances in the field and related literature
Provide detail, detail, detail!
Discuss RESULTS from relevant prior work funded by NSF
Have a strong evaluation plan with timelines and benchmarks

43. Tips for Success
Have an important research question or questions and a strong research design
Put yourself in the reviewers’ place
Have someone else read the proposal
Spell check; grammar check
Meet deadlines
Follow NSF requirements for proposals involving Human Subjects
Call or NSF Program Officers (when clarification will assist you)

44. Return Without Review Submitted after deadline
Fail to separately and explicitly address both intellectual merit and broader impacts in the project summary
Fail to follow formatting requirements such as page limitation, font size and margin limits
Fail to meet eligibility requirements of the solicitation

45. Additional Resources
STEM-C Partnerships: MSP Program Page and Solicitation NSF
Grant Proposal Guide NSF 14-1
Common Guidelines for Education Research and Evaluation NSF
Education and Human Resources Data Management Plan Guidelines

46. STEM-C Partnerships: MSP Program Officers
Kathleen B. Bergin, telephone: (703) ,
Janice Cuny, telephone: (703) ,
Arlene M. de Strulle, telephone: (703) ,
Valerie Barr, telephone: (703) ,
John Haddock, telephone: (703) ,
Christopher Hoadley, telephone: (703) ,
Michael Jacobson, telephone: (703) ,

47. Questions? Thank you for your participation