Funding-Limited Submission - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program Centers (STEP Centers); July 26, 2010

The STEP Centers competition allows a group of faculty representing a cross section of institutions of higher education to identify a national challenge or opportunity in undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to propose a comprehensive and coordinated set of activities that will be carried out to address that challenge or opportunity within a national context.  Each STEP Center will be awarded jointly by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and one of the following: the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), or the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). 

Program activities for all STEP Centers should be designed to have a national impact on increasing the number of students, including STEM majors or non-STEM majors or both, enrolling in undergraduate courses in STEM, and to improve student learning and retention in those courses, by developing, evaluating, and disseminating one or more of the following:

• Educational materials for undergraduate courses, laboratories, curricula, or other aspects of the undergraduate experience;
• Teaching methods for undergraduate courses; and/or
• Professional development to improve the capacity of faculty and teaching assistants to provide effective instruction in undergraduate courses.

NSF Solicitation and Program information: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503533

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:  3

An institution that awards associate or baccalaureate degrees is allowed to be the lead institution on only one proposal to the EHR-BIO STEP Center competition, only one proposal to the EHR-ENG STEP Centers competition, and only one proposal to the EHR-GEO STEP Centers competition.  Thus, a given institution may be the lead institution on up to three proposal submissions in total.  An institution may be a partner institution on any number of submissions.

Internal Selection Process

Because an institution may submit only one proposal per area (BIO, ENG, GEO), the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process. Researchers interested in submitting a proposal are to submit the following materials electronically to the Office of the Vice President for Research at vpr@email.uky.edu and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Monday, July 26, 2010: 

1. Title and area (BIO, GEO or ENG);
2. A list of key personnel and other institutional partners;
3. A 1-2 -page description of the project and its goals;
4. A brief budget narrative.

All applicants will be notified of their status via email. The NSF deadline for a required letter of intent is August 4, 2010. Questions about the submission process may be sent to Ms. Annette Evans in the Office of the Vice President for Research (alevan4@email.uky.edu or 257-1663).