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nie guidelines 2/2 (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 1994 16:25:58 -0500
From: Barbara W. Mihalas <bmihalas@nsf.gov>
To: peter@tmn.com
Subject: nie guidelines 2/2

C. Formal Proposals

Formal Proposals are due on April 15, 1995.  Special review
criteria beyond the standard NSF criteria are listed under Proposal
Review.

Size and Duration of Awards

NIE plans to fund 3-5 awards yearly for each of the following
categories (These are not formal categories, but guides to types of
projects and associated funding levels, as described in the
Introduction.

* Policy studies - $25,000 to $100,000 per year
* Research and development - $250,000 to $750,000 per year for 1
                1 to 3 years
* Demonstration and model sites - $250,000 to $750,000 per year for
                1 to 3 years
* Infrastructure and testbeds - $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year for
                1 to 3 years

Planning/startup Grants should not exceed one year and are
expected to range from $25,000 to $100,000.

(Cost-sharing requirements are discussed in detail in the Section
on Proposal Review.)

Network and Interactive Technology Prototype System for the
Department of Defense Dependent Schools.

In response to the national educational challenge to create new
networking infrastructures for education, the Department of Defense
Dependents Schools (DoDDS) and the National Science Foundation
(NSF) have initiated a joint, competitive program to support
applied research and evaluation on the use of telecommunication
networks and interactive computer-based, instructional technologies
in pursuit of educational excellence. The program seeks to combine
educational technology and educational reform strategies, by using
the DoDDS to demonstrate and evaluate their potential for improving
mathematics and science education.

Goals and Objectives.

Various interactive technologies and network applications have
proven educationally beneficial in research studies and in certain
classroom courses. The purpose of this program is to develop a
large-scale prototype system that includes a telecommunication
network and interactive instructional technologies, capable of
significantly increasing excellence in a K-12 mathematics and
science program, and to demonstrate and evaluate the cost and
benefits associated with operating the system.

The intent of the program is to aggregate, integrate and articulate
a critical amount of educational resources and materials,
consistent with recommended national standards for mathematics
and science education, and achieve significant, measurable gains in
student and teacher performance.

The use of the installed base of equipment and off-the-shelf
materials, where appropriate, is encouraged. However, the
development of new materials and interfaces may also be
contemplated if needed to develop a cohesive, comprehensive
system.

Proposed projects should organize resources to support a broad
range of pedagogical learning strategies such as learning circles,
classroom instruction, group and individual lessons, dry and wet
laboratories, library research, mentoring and tutoring by
professional scientists, professors and teachers, and
project-oriented science. Students should be permitted to have as
much access as possible to all network resources for self-directed
learning.

Proposed systems should support a wide variety of pedagogical
strategies and tools such as teleconferencing, access to multimedia
presentations, video, e-mail, bulletin boards, digital data bases
and libraries. Materials should be pilot tested and of sufficient
scope, depth and duration to provide the basis for a rigorous test
of the system. Data should be gathered to measure student
performance and achievement for a wide range of students.

The proposed systems should involve the active and significant
participation of all stakeholders such as students, teachers,
librarians, parents, administrators, scientists and technologists
in planning and designing the system and its services.

The proposed system-wide prototypes should use Internet and
include
representative sites in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The
sites should, where possible, be joined with existing mathematics
and science networks and testbeds in the domestic United States,
other NIE network projects and/or other appropriate international
networks.

The cost/benefits studies should include an analysis of system
performance, student achievement and motivation, teacher
preparation and workshops, and costs necessary to develop and
operate such a system. Based upon these results, a cost/benefits
projection should be prepared for scaling up the program for all
DoDDS schools.

Funding

NSF budget for the funded project(s) is not expected to exceed
$4,500,000 dollars over three years (1995-1998). Depending on the
number and quality of proposals, it is anticipated that one or more
multiyear grants or cooperative agreements will be awarded.

Proposal Processing

A. Contact Information

For general information, contact the NIE/DODDS program at:

     (703) 306-1651 dodds@nsf.gov

B. Preliminary Proposals

The submission of an informal, preliminary proposal for review by
NSF 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 short one paragraph description of the principal
investigators, a discussion of the technologies and
telecommunication to be used, the science and mathematics courses
and materials to be covered for the various grade levels, and an
evaluation plan discussing the performance measures, tests and
cost/benefits analysis. Preliminary proposals are due no later than
December 15, 1994. We encourage the submission of preliminary
proposals via electronic mail, to nie@nsf.gov.

Additional information about DoDDS may be obtained by contacting
the National Science Foundation, NIE/DoDDS Program, Education and
Human Resources, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22230 (TEL:
703-306-1651) or email: dodds@nsf.gov.

C. Formal Proposals

Formal Proposals are due on February 15, 1995, and will be
reviewed in accordance with NSF policies and procedures. Additional
review criteria are listed under Proposal Review.

Awards

Grant or Cooperative Agreement Award(s) will be made by June,
1995.


Who May Submit (NIE and DoDDS targeted solicitation)

Proposals for both the NIE and DoDDS programs will be accepted from
individual institutions or groups of institutions within the United
States. Proposals which involve the formation of new alliances are
encouraged. These alliances could include two- and four-year
degree-granting academic institutions, school districts,
professional societies, state agencies, public libraries, museums,
and others concerned with educational reform. Business and industry
participation, with cost-sharing consistent with their role, is
required for demonstration, model site, testbed and infrastructure
projects, and encouraged for policy studies and R&D projects.

Proposals for planning or startup grants aimed at developing a plan
of action, a more encompassing collaboration or a competitive NIE
project, will be accepted from qualified proposers on behalf of
coalitions and consortia.

The Foundation welcomes proposals on behalf of all qualified
scientists, engineers, and educators, and strongly encourages
women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully
in its research and educational programs.

Proposal Format

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 94-2,
January, 1994. 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@nsf.gov (Internet)
pubs@nsf (Bitnet)


Proposal Submission

Fifteen (15) copies of each proposal, including one copy bearing
original signatures, should be mailed to:

Announcement No. 94-5
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.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with established
Foundation procedures, and the four general criteria described in
Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 94-2, will be used. Evaluation will be
done by a panel of experts and by ad-hoc mail reviews and site
visits as needed. Proposal evaluation will also take into account
NIE's overarching goal of building collaborations among technology
and education researchers, developers and implementers.  Thus the
following criteria will be used:

(1)  Overall Plan: How well does the proposal integrate the many
stakeholders so they can explore networking costs and benefits,
test self-sustaining strategies, and develop a flexible
infrastructure for network-leveraged education reform.  The NIE
program encourages collaborations and consortia at all levels from
the community to the state or region to ensure broad-scale,
systemic support for education reform that integrates technological
resources as fully as possible into reform activities.  Governance
and management of projects should reflect contributions of all
groups involved, as appropriate for the type of award sought
(policy study, R&D, DoDDS prototype, etc.).

(2)  Potential for Significant Impact: For evaluating NIE and DoDDS
proposals, the potential of the project for achieving significant
impact on student performance, educational networking, and the
project's contributions to our base of knowledge about the role of
technology in education reform

(3)  Sustainability:  What is the potential of the project for
long-term sustainability?  How will the project leverage and
contribute to the ability of the education community to carry out
full-scale, self-sustaining and scalable implementations of
educational networking?

(4)  Evaluation, Assessment and Dissemination: All NIE and DoDDS
projects must have well defined evaluation, dissemination and
assessment plans. Proposals will be evaluated on how well their
plans for evaluation, assessment and dissemination integrate with
and further the goals reflected in evaluation criteria (1) - (3).

DoDDS proposals are expected to provide a clear definition of the
educational problems and opportunities to be addressed, plans for
the design and implementation of a model that has sufficient scope,
depth and duration to rigorously test the educational benefits,
innovativeness, and plans for the  components of a successful
implementation strategy, such as teacher training, on-going
support, etc.

(5)  Cost-Sharing: Business and industry participation and
cost-sharing are important indicators of the sustainability and
flexibility of any networking infrastructure. Consequently,
business and industry participation in NIE projects, and level of
cost-sharing, including cost-sharing by consortia members, will be
used as criteria in the evaluation of proposals, as appropriate.

All research proposals are required to comply with NSF rules for
cost-sharing. Proposals for model sites, testbeds, and
infrastructure development are expected to document the
commitment
of members of the consortia and the projected cost-sharing they
will provide to assure the long term sustainability of the project.
Cost-sharing can take the form of equipment, personnel, release
time for teachers, communication costs, as well as funds.

Reviewers will be interested in how the project leverages efforts
of consortium members and of state and local government, such as
existing connectivity,  technical support, local bond issues,
statewide education reform programs, state use of training funds,
etc.

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@nsf.gov (Internet).  More
comprehensive information is contained in the NSF Grant Policy
Manual (NSF 88-47, July 1989), 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
III of the NSF Grant Policy Manual.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dr. Barbara Weibel Mihalas, Program Director
Networking Infrastructure for Education, EHR & CISE
National Science Foundation
Stafford Building Suite 855,
4201 Wilson Blvd,
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: (703) 306-1655 X 5875   Fax: (703) 306-0434
Email:  bmihalas@nsf.gov
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^







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