Title : NSF 94-05 (Revised) Networking Infrastructure for Education Type : Program Guideline NSF Org: CROSS-DIRECTORATE Date : November 9, 1994 File : nsf9405 Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and Directorate for Education and Human Resources Program Solicitation Networking Infrastructure for Education New Projects and Planning Grants Summary of Target dates NIE NIE DODDS policy Preliminary Feb. 15 December 15 December 15 proposals Full April 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 proposals The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides awards for research in the sciences and engineering. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation. The Foundation welcomes proposals on behalf of all qualified scientists and engineers, and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research and research-related programs described in this document. In accordance with Federal statutes and regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities provides funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on an NSF project. Contact the program coordinator in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. The telephone number is (703) 306-1640. NSF has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate with the NSF Information Center about NSF programs, employment, or general information. The telephone number is (703) 306-0090. Privacy Act and Public Burden. Information requested on NSF application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals and may be used and disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process and to other government agencies. See Systems of Records NSF-50, Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records, and NSF- 51, Reviewer/Proposal. File and Associated Records, 56 Federal Register 54907 (Oct. 23, 1991). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of your receiving an award. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Herman G. Fleming, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of CPO, NSF, Ballston, VA 22230, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (3145-0058) Washington, DC 20503. ***************************************************************** This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance categories 47.070 and 47.076. Current catalog numbers and titles for NSF: 47.041 Engineering 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences 47.050 Geosciences 47.050 Office of Polar Programs 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering 47.073 Office of Science and Technology Infrastructure 47.074 Biological Sciences 47.075 Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences 47.076 Education and Human Resources 47.077 Academic Research Infrastructure These CFDA numbers may also be found in Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 94-02. As part of an expanding effort to encourage innovation and leverage the power of computer and networking technology to support science and mathematics education reform, the Directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and for Education and Human Resources (EHR) issue the second solicitation of a joint Program on Networking Infrastructure for Education (NIE). In addition, information on three related areas of networking appplications are included: electronic libraries, Native American Telecommunications and programs with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. The NIE Program aims 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 help lay a foundation on which strategies for the appropriate use of technology in support of increased student achievement can be developed. NIE's goal is to build synergy between technology and education researchers, developers and implementers so they can explore networking costs and benefits, test self-sustaining strategies, and develop a flexible educational networking infrastructure that will be instrumental in the dissemination, integration and application of technologies to speed the pace of educational innovation and reform. NIE seeks proposals in the areas of (a) policy studies, (b) research and development in support of NIE goals, (c) demonstrations and model sites, and (d) infrastructure and testbeds. These are not formal categories, but guides to types of projects and associated funding levels. Policy studies should consider topics such as the barriers to networked community creation and development; the articulation of distance education's contribution to lifelong learning and school to work transition, especially for underrepresented minorities and rural populations; leveraging the universal open access aspect of networks to promote educational equity among students and institutions. R&D refers to projects where fundamental questions remain unanswered and the audience for project outcomes is other researchers or implementers and key users. Demonstration and model sites are focused on making the system robust, addressing a larger cross-section of user requirements, implementing some of the resulting new ideas, learning how to scale-up existing models, and learning what level of user support is required. Infrastructure and testbeds are projects whose outcomes inform the whole community and decision-makers about system and infrastructure investment options. Testbeds, by their nature, are expected to work with diverse communities of users and with innovative ideas, testing high-risk, high-gain conjectures about new ways of working--organizational, pedagogical, educational, and technological. The following guidelines describe the types of eligible activities, criteria to be used for their evaluation, and the process for submitting proposals. The NIE Program seeks to: * establish testbeds, implementation models and prototypes that explore the role of electronic networks (the Internet and others) in support of SMET education reform, and demonstrate sustainable approaches to educational networking. * support the R&D needed for large-scale, cost-effective implementation of educational networking, including infrastructure, policy, training, curriculum, reform, school organization, interactive teaching/learning tools, materials, and mechanisms for technology transfer. Examples of possible NIE projects * Awards to: broaden existing networks to strengthen collaborations with educational communities and groups to deliver innovative services to students and teachers at all levels, including adults involved in lifelong learning, add educational networking infrastructure to existing systemic reform efforts such as NSF's Rural and Urban Systemic Initiatives; strengthen collaborations and encourage consortia to ensure broad-scale, systemic support for education reform; and develop services, technical assistance and connectivity in conjunction with the larger educational communities such as states and school districts. These collaborations would support the creation of research testbeds for innovative projects in K-14 education, informal education, and/or continuing education. Such collaborations should be based on a prior record of accomplishment and make available unique resources such as remote databases, professional expertise, supercomputers, and other resources, to the community of users. * Research and development to explore issues of scaling-up existing networking models. Examples of such projects include, but are not limited to, research on accessing information from distributed data repositories; research on the use of the network for access to remote resources for experimentation, training, and collaborative studies; research on student and teacher human-computer interaction interfaces; research on the educational and equity impact of the use of networked resources including remotely accessible high performance computing capabilities; development of support and funding models for large-scale and long-term educational networking and technology support; and research and development for extending tools and organizational systems to accommodate collaborations among large numbers of participants with diverse viewpoints. * Awards to develop and evaluate innovative networked communities in support of SMET education reform goals (for example, communities defined by a shared interest, and/or networking of geographical communities). Examples include policy studies on funding the creation of self-sustaining networked communities that link information sources such as electronic libraries, public libraries and museums to users, or access to self-paced training resources. Areas of special interest Policy Studies. The NIE program is interested in funding three to five projects designed to (a) support electronically a proposer community based on the work of existing grantees and (b) develop an NIE and networking infrastructure evaluation strategy. Native American Telecommunications. The nation's schools serving Native American students have special networking infrastructure needs. The NIE program seeks proposals to develop policies, pilot projects and infrastructure models that can serve the unique needs of Native American tribal colleges and their students. Electronic Libraries. The Foundation, as part of an interagency program, has initiated a program of R&D for digital libraries. There is special interest at the Foundation for exploring the role of digital libraries in education reform and in providing equity of educational opportunities. The NIE program seeks proposals to develop policies, testbeds and prototypes that explore state-wide implementation issues of electronic libraries, access to information located in remote sites, and the organizational and support structures that make it possible. Brief description of projects funded by the NIE program. A few examples of recently funded projects are provided to indicate the breadth of interest of the program: * Policy study on the role of public libraries in the National Information Infrastructure (NII). * Comprehensive metropolitan network that has since become part of an Urban Systemic Initiative in support of math and science education reform. Partners include a medical school, senior citizens, a housing project, K-12 schools, universities, libraries and city government. * Use of telecommunications to support learning-on-demand in a workplace setting. * Use and evaluation of ISDN networks for distance collaborations in which teachers and students combine desktop video conferencing with exchange of complex images and large datasets. * Statewide Systemic Initiative effort will fully integrate educational networking into its reform efforts and to collaborate with science research centers in creating effective innovative science resources for K-12 education. * Development and implementation of a distributed multi-server system based on an architecture that dynamically adapts to rapidly changing load patterns in high levels of network traffic. * Network-based collaboration among science museums, industry and schools to provide unique resources for teaching and learning science, mathematics and technology in grades K-8, with special emphasis on the needs of schools in urban centers. * A testbed of hundreds of networked schools and school districts in more than a dozen states that can be used to test new teaching methods and to provide empirical evidence to taxpayers, governments and private industry about what types of broad-based active participation are required to successfully scale-up reform and education telecommunications efforts. * A Digital Learning Center that networks scientists, educators and multimedia designers to develop compelling on-line, interactive, content-rich resources for learners of all age groups. Brief description of planning and startup projects funded by the NIE program. A few examples of recently funded projects are provided to indicate the breadth of interest of the program:. NIE also encourages planning or startup grants for proposers who are in the process of developing the appropriate consortia, partnerships, or community of users, and need modest resources to complete the process successfully. Potential proposers in this category are advised to discuss their project's compliance with NIE goals and objectives with the NIE Program Directors. * Support for Native American communities to plan for the use of telecommunications and to provide technical, educational and personnel assistance in the development of education activities that incorporate and rely on telecommunications. * Support to leverage a cable industry experiment that is providing interactive cable television to schools and homes and to do a systematic analysis of impact on educational practice. * Supplement to a Statewide Systemic Initiative to develop a model of technology integration that will also be leveraged by a three-state Rural Systemic Initiavive planning grant. * Leverage Statewide Systemic Initiative activities in planning for a sustainable telecommunications network in a rural area by a statewide alliance of technology-related education and business groups. * Lay the groundwork for developing a virtual school where virtual, i.e. network-linked collaborative classrooms encompass the entire community throughout the state. * Plan an interdisciplinary high school 'school-to-work', career path curriculum supported by multimedia technology, with strong involvement of the private sector. Preparation and Submission of Proposals A. Contact Information For general information, contact the Networking Infrastructure for Education program, EHR and CISE, at: (703) 306-1651 nie@nsf.gov B. Preliminary Proposals. While there are no formal guidelines beyond those just stated, 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 detailed work plan and budget, a discussion of the educational needs and opportunities to be addressed, a discussion of the technologies and telecommunication to be used, the science and mathematics to be covered for the various grade levels, and an evaluation plan discussing the performance measures, tests and data analysis. We encourage the submission of preliminary proposals via electronic mail. Preliminary proposals for NIE are due by February 15, 1995. Note the separate preliminary and full proposal deadlines for policy proposals. Proposers contemplating policy studies are encouraged to contact the program at least six weeks prior to the December 15 target date. 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 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. Additional Information Upon completion of the project a Final Project Report (NSF Form 98A), including the Part IV Summary, will be required. NSF will send the form with Part I information preprinted to the Project Director approximately one month prior to the grant's expiration date. Applicants should review the sample form in the Grant Proposal Guide prior to proposal submission so that appropriate tracking mechanisms are included in the proposal plan to ensure that complete information will be available at the conclusion of the project. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST NSF Guide to Programs, available from the NSF Forms and Publications Unit, briefly describes Foundation activities. Proposers may consult the Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 94-2, for additional guidance. The following brochures, which are available from the NSF Forms and Publications Unit, describe Foundation-wide programs: * Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) provides support for faculty research at predominantly undergraduate institutions. Contact the relevant program office or the RUI Coordinator, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1603. (NSF Publication 94-79) * Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) allows science and engineering faculty in predominantly undergraduate institutions to participate in NSF-supported research at research institutions. Contact relevant program office or the ROA Coordinator, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1603. * Visiting Professorships for Women (VPW) provides support for experienced women scientists or engineers to undertake advanced research and teaching at a host institution. Contact VPW Program Director, Room 907, NSF, phone (703) 306-1697. (NSF Publication 94-68) * Research Planning Grants (RPG) provide opportunities for women scientists and engineers who have not had prior independent Federal research support to develop competitive research proposals. Contact the relevant program office or the Coordinator for Women's Programs, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1633. (NSF Publication 93-130) * Career Advancement Awards (CAA) provide opportunities for women scientists and engineers to expand research capability and productivity. Contact the relevant program office or the Coordinator for Women's Programs, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1604. (NSF Publication 93-130) * Research Improvement in Minority Institutions (RIMI) provides grants to predominantly minority institutions and those with substantial minority enrollments that have graduate programs in science or programs in engineering. Contact RIMI Program Director, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1634. (NSF Publication 91-117) * Research Assistantships for Minority High School Students (RAMHSS) encourages principal investigators supported by NSF to provide opportunities for minority high school students to participate in their research projects. Contact the relevant program office or the RAMHSS Coordinator, Room 815, NSF, phone (703) 306-1640. (NSF Publication 89-39) * Minority Research Initiation (MRI): Awards and Planning Grants provides one-time grants for minority scientists and engineers to become actively engaged in research as independent investigators. Research Planning Grants facilitate the development of more competitive research proposals. Contact the relevant program office or the MRI Coordinator, Room 805, NSF, phone (703) 306-1604. (NSF Publication 90-143) * Research Careers for Minority Scholars (RCMS) permits all institutions to encourage undergraduate or graduate minority science or engineering students to participate in research. Contact RCMS Program Director, Room 815, NSF, phone (703) 306-1632. * Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement (UFE) offers opportunities for groups of faculty who teach undergraduates to learn about new techniques and developments in their fields. Contact UFE, Room 835, NSF, phone (703) 306-1669. (NSF Publication 93-164) * Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research or related activities. Contact the relevant NSF disciplinary program office. (NSF Publication 93-112) * Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI) Program provides matching grants for the purchase of undergraduate instructional apparatus. Contact ILI, Room 835, NSF, phone (703) 306-1667. (NSF Publication 93-164) * Alliances for Minority Participation (AMP) supports the establishment of multidisciplinary or disciplinary approaches at the undergraduate level to increase the quality and quantity of underrepresented minority students in science and engineering fields. Contact AMP, Room 815, NSF, phone (703) 306-1632. (NSF Publication 94-122) * Career Access Opportunities in Science and Technology for Women, Minorities, and the Disabled (ACCESS) awards attempt to increase the participation of underrepresented communities in science and technology. Contact CAO, Room 815, NSF, phone (703) 306-1633. (NSF Publication NSF 90-126)