NSF Connecting Higher Ed and K-12 for Math & Science
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made a first round of grants to researchers at 31 institutions nationwide under a new program enabling talented graduate students and advanced undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering and technology to serve as teaching fellows in K-12 schools.
The grants, made under the NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program, will go to institutions in 24 states from New York to Hawaii, as well as Puerto Rico. The multi-year awards were made after reviewing proposals from 157 institutions in 46 states. Collectively, the 31 new grants, totaling $13.4 million for the first year, will fund about 300 graduate and 100 undergraduate students annually.
Planned as a pilot effort in 1999, the program received such a positive response from colleges and universities that NSF allocated more funds than originally planned. A formal program has been requested and approved by Congress as part of NSF's 2000 budget.
Graduate students in the GK-12 program will receive annual stipends of $18,000, plus a cost-of- education allowance. Undergraduate students will receive as much as $5,000 per academic year, plus up to an additional $5,000 for service in the summer.
Academic institutions that offer graduate degrees in science, mathematics, engineering and technology can apply for two to three-year awards ranging from $200,000 up to $500,000 per year. The institutions are responsible for selecting the teaching fellows.
The accompanying table, http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/110599t.htm, presents the awards for 1999. For more information on the program, contact Sonia Ortega at (703)306-1697 or by e-mail sortega@nsf.gov