The National Science Foundation is inviting grant applications for Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science, which supports long-term collaborative partnerships between K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers, community college faculty, and the NSF university research community by involving the teachers in engineering and computer science research and helping them translate their research experiences and new knowledge into classroom activities. Partnerships with inner-city schools or other high-need schools are especially encouraged, as is participation by underrepresented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.
This program features two mechanisms to support in-service and pre-service K-12 teachers and/or community college faculty: RET Supplements (to ongoing NSF Directorates for Engineering [ENG] and Computer and Information Science and Engineering [CISE] awards) and new RET Site awards. RET Supplements may be included in proposals for new or renewed ENG or CISE grants or as supplements to ongoing NSF ENG- or CISE-funded projects. RET Sites are based on independent proposals from engineering or computer and information science departments, schools, or colleges to initiate and conduct research participation projects for a number of K-12 teachers and/or community college faculty.
A total of $5.5 million annually is available for eight awards: RET Site awards offer up to $500,000 over three years, and RET Supplements offer up to $10,000 for one teacher for one year.
The principal investigator of a RET Site proposal must have a faculty appointment within a College/Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology, or Computer and Information Science within the submitting U.S. academic institution. Therefore, I am asking interested applicants from Engineering, and Information & Computer Sciences to submit a preliminary application to my office by Friday August 1, 2014 (electronic submission to or@research.uci.edu is preferred), with the following information:
- Brief proposal (up to three pages),
- Support letter from the Dean
- Bio sketch (no more than two pages each) of the PI and Co-PI, along with a list of other participating faculty
- Preliminary budget
The selected PIs will be notified in time to meet NSF’s full proposal deadline of October 6, 2014.
For the complete NSF guidelines, including detailed information about the RET program, please refer to http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf11509. Questions about our internal campus review process may be directed to Greg Ruth at greg.ruth@uci.edu or x4-0372.
John C. Hemminger
Vice Chancellor for Research