DOE STEM Fellow Update & Opportunities

[Veronica Gonzales]

GEAR UP Notice Inviting Applications
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education’s GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program that encourages eligible entities (i.e. states and their subgrantees) to provide support, and maintain a commitment to eligible low-income students, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. The Department will award up to $28.2M, averaging $3.5M to two types of entities (1) States and (2) eligible partnerships, and requires 50% in matching funds. There are 3 competitive preference priorities worth 2 additional points each: STEM & Computer Science; successful prior state applicants; and, applications supported by promising evidence as defined in the NIA. 

Office of Postsecondary Education Seeks Peer Reviewers
The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) administers a variety of both domestic and international grant and fellowship competitions throughout the year and is always looking for specialists (especially in STEM) to serve as peer reviewers in order to identify the most qualified grant applicants. OPE programs address a range of postsecondary issues, including improving college access and degree completion, particularly among underrepresented, underprepared or low-income students, and students with disabilities. Read the FAQs and apply here.  If you have a preference, indicate which program you are most interested in.

IES Announces $10.2 Million in Funding for Education Technology 
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has awarded 23 organizations $10.2 million to develop and test commercially viable education technology products. Funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Education’s Small Business Innovation Research program (ED/IES SBIR).

The FY19 ED/IES SBIR awards include 15 projects to develop and refine prototypes of products or tools and test their usability and initial feasibility. Of these, 13 will focus on improving teaching, learning, and school administration in education or special education. The remaining two will develop prototype tools to measure the return on investment (ROI) of educational and training programs to inform decision making by prospective postsecondary students.

IES also made eight awards to support further prototype development and conduct pilot studies in schools to demonstrate the promise of each product to produce the intended outcomes. View our YouTube playlist for more information about these projects.

Over the past fifteen years, the SBIR program has made more than 200 awards for the development of education technology, including apps, games, programs, dashboards, assessments and more. Products developed with ED/IES SBIR funds are being used in thousands of schools across the nation.

For a list of FY 2019 ED/IES SBIR awardees, click here.  To learn more about the program and to see abstracts and videos of funded projects, visit the IES SBIR website.

IES Also Seeks New Peer Reviewers
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), now has a new online Peer Reviewer Recruitment form:https://iesreview.ed.gov/ReviewerRecruitment.  All STEM education experts are encouraged to consider signing up!

STEM Education Advisory Panel Committee Meeting
The role of the STEM Education Advisory Panel, established on October 18, 2017, under the authority of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, is to provide advice and recommendations to the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) and the federal STEM Education 5-Year Strategic Plan.  The Panel will meet July 19 at NASA HQ.  Portions are open to the public. To register, email Keaven Stevenson here.

Job Opportunity: ASTC Seeking Impact & Inclusion Director
The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) is seeking Director of Impact and Inclusion Initiatives that will be responsible for developing and leading partnerships, pilots, programs, and initiatives at the forefront of ASTC’s work to support its members in thriving in evolving market contexts, navigating future trends, delivering against their missions to serve their communities, and being welcoming, inclusive, and culturally competent organizations.  The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) is a professional membership organization that supports the future success of science centers, science museums, and related institutions dedicated to public engagement with science.

REMINDERS

IES Grant Opportunities

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports research that addresses important issues in education and special education and develops solutions that improve school readiness and academic achievement for all students.  While STEM is a specific grant category, STEM content and methods can also be embedded in other grant categories such as: career and technical education, early learning, cognition and student learning, English learners, effective instruction, educational technology, reading and writing, special education, etc.  Grants range between $100,000 and $660,000 and up to five years.  For information  https://ies.ed.gov/funding/

Register Today:  Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week Conference
Registration is now open for the 2019 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week Conference, which will take place Sept. 8–10 in Washington, D.C.  Presidents and other representatives from HBCUs, federal agencies, corporations, and foundations will participate in discussions on significant issues of interest to the HBCU community.

Where were you on July 20, 1969? Celebrate the 50^th Apollo Anniversary with NASA
NASA has created and curated numerous events and resources to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

• Air & Space Museums Celebration Webpage.
• NASA and Apollo-related events that are taking place primarily near NASA research centers to celebrate the 50^th anniversary.
• NASA Mars and Moon events at museums around the country.

 

If you have a great STEM education story or (free) resource to share, please submit 100 words and relevant link, image, etc., to Patti.Curtis@ed.gov

 

US Department of Education STEM Webpage

 

 

Disclaimer: The contents of this STEM ED Fellow Update was developed for the benefit of the reader and contains various informational resources. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) does not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities in this Update. The contents of this Updatemay contain examples of, adaptations of, and links to resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. This information is provided as a convenience. The Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. The content of this Update does not necessarily represent the policy of the Department, nor does it reflect its importance. This publication is not intended to represent or be an endorsement by any Federal agency or department, or the U.S. Government of any views expressed, or materials provided, or links to information contained therein.