NSF competition news (long message) (fwd)
Carlos Cruz
ccruz at cks.ssd.k12.wa.us
Fri Jan 19 11:45:35 PST 1996
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 18:41:06 -0500
From: Kirk Winters <kwinters at inet.ed.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <edinfo at inet.ed.gov>
Subject: NSF competition news (long message)
On December 12, EDInfo sent out a message about the
National Science Foundation's "Networking Infrastructure
for Education" program. Last week, Nora Sabelli (of NSF)
informed us that, because of budget developments, the
deadline for preliminary proposals has been moved back
one month -- to March 15, 1996. She also says that
"...budgetary constraints may require further postponement
or cancellation of the competition."
We thought some of you would want to know about this.
Below is the e-mail message from Ms. Sabelli, as well as
the December 12 EDInfo message describing the competition.
We apologize for this unusually long message (9 pages),
& particularly to those of you not interested in this competition.
Questions about this competition should go to: nie at nsf.gov
Kirk Winters Peter Kickbush
kwinters at inet.ed.gov pkickbus at inet.ed.gov
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
MESSAGE FROM NORA SABELLI (of NSF)
----------------------------------
From: nie at nsf.gov
January 15, 1996
Under the terms of the Continuing Resolution passed by Congress and
signed by the President, staff members have returned to work until
January 26, but there is no final operating budget for some agencies,
including NSF. Proposers should note that the NIE preliminary proposal
deadline has been changed to March 15, 1996. Note that budgetary
constraints may require further postponement or cancellation of
the competition. Information on final proposals and timelines for
review and funding decisions will be mailed to the principal
investigators of the preliminary proposals that will be encouraged
for full submission; please do not call the office to inquire about
full proposal deadlines.
Preliminary proposals should be no more than eight pages in length and
should contain sufficient information for an external peer review of
the merits of the proposed work. One page (at most) of the total eight
should be devoted to an estimate of the budget categories, and another
two (at most) to the qualifications of the proposed collaborators.
Expected outcomes and evaluation plans should be discussed in the
text.
The name of the Principal Investigator, and mailing, phone and
electronic mail information should be provided with the preliminary
proposal title. No special forms are needed
Please mail four copies of the complete preliminary proposal to
NIE Program, Room 855
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22230
You may direct questions to the program office at nie at nsf.gov or at
the phone number listed above. We apologize for any inconvenience
that the revised process may cause you.
*************************************************************************
Nora H. Sabelli, Senior Program Director, National Science Foundation
Applications of Advanced Technologies, Stafford Building, Suite 855,
Education and Human Resources, 4201 Wilson Blvd,
and Arlington, VA 22230
Networking Infrastructure for Education,
Education and Human Resources and Phone: (703) 306-1655, x5888;
Computer and Information Science and Fax: (703) 306-0434
Engineering Internet: nsabelli at nsf.gov
*************************************************************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL EDInfo MESSAGE on NSF's NIE COMPETITION
------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995
To: Multiple recipients of list <edinfo at inet.ed.gov>
Subject: NSF's NIE solicitation
THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION recently announced a grants
competition that some of us may be interested in. The
"Networking Infrastructure for Education" program, as it's
called, aims to support 1-5 efforts in each of three
categories:
Evaluation ($25,000 to $125,000)
Dissemination ($25,000 to $125,000)
Electronic Library prototypes ($75,000 to $250,000)
Preliminary proposals are due by February 15, 1996. If
you're thinking of submitting a proposal, please contact the
NSF program *prior* to the February 15 target date. BUT
FIRST, you may want to read the information below, which is
taken from an e-mail message (from Nora Sabelli of NSF)
announcing this competition.
(Sorry for the *length* of this message -- about 6 pages.)
*********************************************************
The Networking Infrastructure for Education (NIE) Program is a
joint effort between the Directorates for Computer and
Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and for Education and
Human Resources (EHR). The aims of the NIE Program are to hasten
the development of a widespread high performance electronic
communications infrastructure in support of science, mathematics,
engineering and technology (SMET) education reform, and to lay a
foundation on which strategies for the appropriate use of
technology in support of increased student achievement can be
developed. NIE awards build synergy between technology and
education researchers, developers, and implementers to explore
networking costs and benefits, test self-sustaining strategies,
and develop models of a flexible educational networking
infrastructure that will speed the pace of educational innovation
and reform.
For the FY 1996 competition, the NIE Program seeks proposals in
the areas of: (a) programmatic evaluation of the impact of
existing technology programs on the infrastructure of education,
and on systemic reform; (b) widespread dissemination to
appropriate audiences of the outcomes of existing models both
successful and unsuccessful; and (c) electronic library
implementation prototypes.
(Information about awards initiated during FYs 1994 and 1995
is available by e-mailing or calling the NIE Program office
at nie at nsf.gov or 703-306-1651.)
***********************
Guidelines and Examples
***********************
The following section provides guidelines and examples of types
of eligible activities. In FY 1996, the NIE Program solicits
proposals that will contribute to:
EVALUATING THE IMPACT of networking applications in
educational settings. Specifically, proposals should examine
the effectiveness of current work in creating a sustainable
infrastructure and reforming science and mathematics
education at all levels. Projects may examine impacts on
student learning as well as development of community
infrastructure. Projects should not be limited to NSF-funded
activities and can propose alternative evaluation measures.
For example, evaluation projects could examine the following
issues:
mechanisms used by awardees to coordinate awards from
different federal and state agencies;
the role that federally- or state-funded models have in
developing local implementation plans;
the impact of networking applications on communities; &
areas of interest that are not well covered by existing
programs.
DISSEMINATING THE OUTCOMES OF EXISTING WORK to appropriate
audiences and evaluating different models of technology
infrastructure implementation. Heretofore, many
dissemination efforts have included a variety of passive
means to distribute information, such as print media,
e-mail, database repositories, and the World Wide Web. The
effectiveness of these methods has been limited because they
assume a high correlation between awareness and action.
Proposals should incorporate innovative ideas to enhance the
effectiveness of dissemination efforts to reach all
stakeholder audiences. For example, dissemination projects
could examine the following issues:
alternative measures of student achievement including
longitudinal studies;
innovative methods of proactive dissemination, that is,
methods which involve a collaborative relationship
between the disseminator and those accessing the
information;
ways to establish local school innovators as experts
for their peers on the process and outcomes of the
innovation;
methods for insuring widespread dissemination of
successful models of school and community
infrastructure;
ways to expand the awareness of school districts and
school boards about the need for integrating technology
into the science and mathematics education of all
students; and
interactive repository of models and costs of existing
implementation in similar districts.
IMPLEMENTING "ELECTRONIC LIBRARY" PROTOTYPES as access points
for digital materials. The NIE program will support projects
to develop policies and prototypes that explore system-wide
implementation issues of Electronic Libraries, access to
information located in remote sites, and the organizational
and support structures that makes such access possible. For
example, Electronic Library projects could address the
following issues:
integrating on-line resources with standards-based
curriculum development, and with system-wide strategies
for teacher and librarian professional development;
organizing strategies for cataloging, searching,
evaluating and adding educational materials to Digital
Libraries (DL), adapted to different educational
audiences;
developing strategies to integrate DL use with use of
traditional school and public libraries to maximize
effectiveness of use and equity of access;
piloting and evaluating low- and high-bandwidth access
to existing DL testbeds through a variety of network
access mechanisms, and developing appropriate user
support strategies; and
publishing teachers' and students' work on-line.
NOTE: Electronic Library projects may leverage
existing activities and work with NSF-funded
projects whenever appropriate. Additional testing
and deployment resources may be added to a DL
testbed, and an Electronic Library project may be
funded as a supplement to existing DL or NIE
awards. For more information about the DL program,
see the solicitation (NSF 93-141) or the
subsequent press release (NSF 94-52).
***************************************
Preparation and Submission of Proposals
***************************************
FOR GENERAL INFORMATION, contact the Networking Infrastructure
for Education program at: (703) 306-1651 or nie at nsf.gov
AN INFORMAL PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL IS REQUIRED. The preliminary
proposal should be in the form of a six to eight page (double
spaced) document describing the goals of the activity, a
discussion of the audience to be addressed, and a preliminary
work plan and expected budget by activity. Evaluation and
dissemination proposals should include the reasons for selecting
a subset of NIE or other awards and projects to be evaluated
and/or disseminated. There are no special forms for the
preliminary proposal submission. We encourage the submission of
preliminary proposals via electronic mail and request that two
additional hard copies be mailed to the NIE program. Please
include the following information on your preliminary proposal:
(1) Name(s) of proposed Principal Investigator, (2) Institution,
(3) Mailing address, phone, fax, and e-mail address of the PI.
Preliminary proposals are due by February 15, 1996. Proposers are
encouraged to contact the program prior to the February 15 target
date. Preliminary proposals will be reviewed by NSF staff and/or
external reviewers, and proposers will receive feedback within
one month.
FORMAL PROPOSALS are due on April 15, 1996. Special review
criteria beyond the standard NSF criteria are listed under
Proposal Review.
****************************
Proposal Format & Submission
****************************
Proposals developed in response to this program solicitation
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the
guidelines provided in the NSF brochure, Grant Proposal Guide,
NSF 95-27, August 1995 (Replaces NSF 94-2). Copies of the most
current edition of this publication are available at no cost
from:
National Science Foundation
Forms and Publications, Room P15
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
(703) 306-1130
pubs at nsf.gov (Internet)
Fifteen (15) copies of each formal proposal, including one copy
bearing original signatures, should be mailed to:
Announcement No. 96-13
Proposal Processing Unit P60
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
One additional copy should be sent to:
Program Director
Networking Infrastructure for Education
Suite 855
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
Only one (1) copy of NSF Form 1225, Information about Principal
Investigator/Project Director, should be sent, attached to the
original signed proposal. Proposals should include a new NSF Form
1207 Cover Sheet/Certification page, dated 7/95.
***************
Proposal Review
***************
Proposal evaluation will be performed by a panel of experts and
by ad-hoc mail reviews and site visits, as needed. Proposals will
be evaluated in accordance with established Foundation
procedures, and the four general criteria described in Grant
Proposal Guide (NSF 95-27) will be used. Proposal evaluation will
also take into account NIE's overarching goal of building
collaborations among technology and education researchers,
developers and implementers. In addition, the following criteria
will be used:
(1) Significant impact: The potential to achieve significant
impact that results in increased student performance and
sustainable educational networking.
(2) Sustainability: The potential to leverage the ability of the
education community to carry out full-scale, self-sustaining
and scalable educational networking models.
(3) Cost-sharing: Business and industry participation and
cost-sharing are important indicators of the sustainability
and flexibility of any networking infrastructure. Proposals
should demonstrate a meaningful working relationship with
business and industry, and a corresponding level of
cost-sharing, including cost-sharing by consortia members,
as appropriate. Cost-sharing must come from non-federal
funds and be in accordance with OMB circular A-110.
Reviewers will be interested in how the project leverages
efforts of other federal, state and local governments, such
as existing network connectivity, technical support, local
bond issues, statewide education reform programs, state use
of training funds, and so on.
In addition:
For EVALUATION activities: The extent to which the project
contributes to our base of knowledge about the impact of
technology on educational reform.
For DISSEMINATION activities: The amount of proactive
involvement and, if appropriate, the quality of plans for
updating information.
For ELECTRONIC LIBRARIES: The potential for demonstrating
system-wide impact. Implementation prototypes should address
an appropriate target audience.
********************
Grant Administration
********************
Grants and cooperative agreements awarded as a result of this
solicitation are administered in accordance with the terms and
conditions of NSF GC-1, "Grant General Conditions," or FDP-II,
"Federal Demonstration Project General Terms and Conditions,"
depending on the grantee organization. Copies of these documents
are available at no cost from the NSF Forms and Publications
Unit, phone (703) 306-1130, or pubs at nsf.gov (Internet). More
comprehensive information is contained in the NSF Grant Policy
Manual (NSF 95-26), for sale through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The
telephone number at GPO is (202) 783-3238 for subscription
information.
IF THE SUBMITTING INSTITUTION HAS NEVER RECEIVED AN NSF AWARD, it
is recommended that appropriate administrative officials become
familiar with the policies and procedures in the NSF Grant Policy
Manual which are applicable to most NSF awards. If a proposal is
recommended for an award, the NSF Division of Grants and
Agreements will request certain organizational, management, and
financial information. These requirements are described in
Chapter V of the NSF Grant Policy Manual.
Kirk Winters
Office of the Under Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
kwinters at inet.ed.gov
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