Technology

Computing Education for the 21st Century

2012-01-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Current Closing Date for Applications:

Apr 09, 2012 Full Proposal Deadline(s): April 09, 2012 April 02, 2013 First Tuesday in April, Annually Thereafter

Expected Number of Awards:	20
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$13,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$10,000,000
Award Floor:	$200,000
CFDA Number(s):	47.070 -- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
	47.076 -- Education and Human Resources
	47.080 -- Office of Cyberinfrastructure

The Computing Education for the 21st Century (CE21) program aims to build a robust computing research community, a computationally competent 21st century workforce, and a computationally empowered citizenry. In this undertaking, there are three interrelated challenges: the significant underproduction of degrees needed for the computing and computing-related workforce, the longstanding underrepresentation of many segments of our population, and the lack of a presence of computing in K-12. Innovation in information technology (IT) has driven economic growth, underlies many of our recent scientific advances, and ensures our national security; it is not surprising then that predicted IT job growth is very strong. Yet students are not majoring in computing in sufficient numbers. This shortfall is exacerbated by the longstanding underrepresentation of women, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and indigenous peoples in computing. We cannot meet workforce demands without their participation and we cannot, in an increasingly competitive world economy, afford to cede the talents and creativity of so many. To ensure their participation, and the full participation of all students, we must provide better opportunities to study computing in K-12. We must start with a better understanding of how students learn computing. Unlike many of the other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, computing has not developed a robust research base on the teaching and learning of its fundamental concepts and skills. That research base must be built and it must be used in providing all students with rigorous academic curricula that cover computational concepts and skills, and the breadth of application and potential of computing. Providing access to rigorous, academic computing in K-12 will require an unprecedented effort to develop curriculum and materials and to prepare teachers.

CE21 thus supports efforts in three tracks: Computing Education Research (CER) proposals will aim to develop a research base for computing education. Projects may conduct basic research on the teaching and learning of computational competencies; they may design, develop, test, validate, and refine materials, measurement tools, and methods for teaching in specific contexts; and/or they may implement promising small-scale interventions in order to study their efficacy with particular groups. Efforts can focus on computational thinking as taught in computing courses or infused across the curriculum, they can target students or their teachers in informal or formal educational settings, or they can address any level within the K-16 pipeline, from elementary school through high school and college. CS 10K proposals will aim to develop the knowledge base and partnerships needed to catalyze the CS 10K Project. The CS 10K Project aims to have rigorous, academic curricula incorporated into computing courses in 10,000 high schools, taught by 10,000 well-trained teachers. CS 10K proposals can address a wide range of needed activities, including the development of course materials, pedagogy, and methods courses, as well as professional development and ongoing support for teachers, approaches to scaling, best practices for increasing the participation of students from underrepresented groups, and strategies for building K-12, university, and community partnerships. Broadening Participation (BP) proposals will aim to develop and assess novel interventions that contribute to our knowledge base on the effective teaching and learning of computing for students from the underrepresented groups: women, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and indigenous peoples. Proposed interventions should be designed to engage and retain students from these groups and, at the same time, to increase their knowledge of computational thinking concepts and skills. Proposers are encouraged to leverage the resources provided by the existing BPC-A Alliances and to develop interventions that, if proven successful, could be implemented within a BPC-A Alliance. For additional information on the Alliances, see http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503593&org=NSF.In aggregate, CE21 projects will contribute to our understanding of how diverse student populations are engaged and retained in computing, learn its fundamental concepts, and develop computational competencies that position them to contribute to an increasingly computationally empowered workforce.

NSF Publication 12-527

Youth Technology Grants

2011-10-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The ESA Foundation, a philanthropic vehicle of the Entertainment Software Association, is dedicated to supporting programs that make a difference in the lives of America's youth.
The foundation is accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services utilizing technology and/or computer and video games to educate America's youth and young adults (ages 7 to 18).
Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental units exempt under Section 115 and described in Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code. Funding must be sought for a specific project or program that is or will be implemented or available nationwide or in a minimum of two states in the United States.
In general, the ESA Foundation does not accept applications for endowments, operating support, benefit and event fundraisers, annual fund appeals, youth sports teams, religious organizations for religious purposes, political organizations or campaigns, labor groups, indirect costs, research, or from fiscal agents. Grants are not made to individuals or for projects outside the United States of America.

First-time awardees will be considered for grants of up to $50,000 each.
The grant application deadline is May 15, 2011 for projects to be implemented in 2012.
Visit the ESA Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Link to Complete RFP

Computer Science Education Act

2011-09-23T05:49:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the Computer Science Education Act, which will help prepare Americans for the more than 1.5 million high-wage computing jobs that are expected to be created in the U.S. by 2018. The bill will help states to increase and strengthen their computer science offerings in K-12 education.

"With significant job creation over the next decade in industries fueled by computer science, better K-12 instruction in this STEM field is critical to our economic competitiveness,” said Senator Casey. “To help our schools improve computer science instruction, I am proud to introduce the Computer Science Education Act in the Senate. This legislation will give more students the opportunity to study computer science and position themselves for the jobs of the future."

“Computer science careers will provide good paying jobs for Americans and prepare our economy to compete and win the global market,” said Congressman Polis. “America can only succeed economically if our workforce is prepared for the best paying jobs, such as those in computer science. If America’s is to remain an economic superpower—and if we’re to support jobs for the middle class—we must be the world’s leader in computer science education.”

“The Computer Science Education Act encourages states to examine what is going on in local computer science classrooms and consider how to give students educational opportunities that support lucrative, rewarding careers and contribute to the most dynamic, innovative industry in the United States,” according to Maggie Johnson, Google’s Director of Education and University Relations. “Computer science must be accommodated in our nation’s classrooms if we want to be successful in the 21st Century.”

Between 2004 and 2008, the number of computer-related bachelor's degrees granted in the U.S. fell from roughly 60,000 to 38,000. The availability of introductory secondary school computer science courses has also decreased—by 17 percent since 2005—and the number of Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses has decreased by 33 percent.

While some states allow computer science courses to count toward a secondary school core graduation requirements, most states that have specific course requirements for graduation count computer science courses only as electives. Many states also do not have a certification process for computer science teachers, and where certification processes do exist, such processes often have no connection to computer science content.

To reverse these troubling trends and prepare Americans for jobs in this high-wage, high-growth field, the Computer Science Education Act will:

Ensure computer science offerings are an integral part of the curriculum;
Develop state computer science standards, curriculum, and assessments;
Improve access to underserved populations;
Create professional development and teacher certification initiatives, including computer science teacher preparation programs in higher education;
Form a commission on computer science education to bring states together to address the computer science teacher certification crisis; and,
Establish an independent, rigorous evaluation of state efforts with reporting back to Congress and the administration.

The bill would provide two-year competitive planning grants to states, as well as five-year competitive implementation grants to states to support their plans to increase and strengthen schools’ capacity to offer effective computer science education.

###

Cyberlearning: Transforming Education program

2011-09-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

Through the Cyberlearning: Transforming Education program, NSF seeks to integrate advances in technology with advances in what is known about how people learn to better understand how people learn with technology and how technology can be used productively to help people learn, through individual use and/or through collaborations mediated by technology;better use technology for collecting, analyzing, sharing, and managing data to shed light on learning, promoting learning, and designing learning environments; anddesign new technologies for these purposes, and advance understanding of how to use those technologies and integrate them into learning environments so that their potential is fulfilled.Of particular interest are technological advances that allow more personalized learning experiences, draw in and promote learning among those in populations not served well by current educational practices, allow access to learning resources anytime and anywhere, and provide new ways of assessing capabilities. It is expected that Cyberlearning research will shed light on how technology can enable new forms of educational practice and that broad implementation of its findings will result in a more actively-engaged and productive citizenry and workforce.Cyberlearning awards will be made in three research categories, each focusing on a different stage of research and development: Exploratory (EXP), Design and Implementation (DIP), and Integration and Deployment (INDP). The Cyberlearning program will also support small Capacity-Building Projects (CAP) and a Cyberlearning Resource Center (CRC).

NSF Publication 11-587

Small Business Technology Transfer program

2011-07-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Small Business Technology Transfer program stimulates technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting Federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses.The Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) requires researchers at universities and other non-profit research institutions to play a significant intellectual role in the conduct of each STTR project. These researchers, by joining forces with a small company, can spin-off their commercially promising ideas while they remain primarily employed at the research institution. The program is governed by Public Law 112-17.NSF seeks to help reach the nation's future broadband goals and the larger objective of alleviating growing pressure on limited radio spectrum resources. Innovative approaches, technologies, and policies are required to enable more flexible and efficient access to the radio spectrum. The stakes are high in technology development as the country that develops the key intellectual property to enable the efficient use of the spectrum and adopts new and effective spectrum regulations is expected to have strong competitive advantages in the manufacturing of new communications systems, and increased productivity in using this technology. For information reference section A.10.

NSF Publication 11-561

Dept. of Labor to Offer up to $35,000 for Development of Visualizations Using Occupational Employment Statistics from BLS

2011-07-26T05:17:00.001-07:00

The Department of Labor has recently announced two contests with a total of $70,000 in prize money for software applications that showcase innovative uses of the department's data. The goal of the first contest is to connect unemployed workers with promising careers, and the goal of the second is to empower consumer choices about the hotel, motel, restaurant and retail industries. Information about both is posted at www.challenge.gov.

The Occupational Employment Statistics challenge calls on developers to create visualizations using OES data from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics to assist individuals in planning their education, considering a career change, moving to a new geographical area or negotiating pay and benefits.

The "informAction app" challenge requires developers to use compliance data from the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its Wage and Hour Division in a way that will empower workers and consumers to make educated choices regarding the hotel, motel, restaurant and retail industries.

Applications that best satisfy the criteria for each challenge will be eligible to receive up to $35,000. Developers are encouraged to combine the required data with any other publicly accessible data available on the Internet and to be creative in exploring approaches for realizing the goals. Submissions may be any kind of software tool, including those designed for the Web, a personal computer, a mobile handheld device, a console or any platform broadly accessible to the open Internet.

The challenges will be open for submissions from July 14 until Sept. 14. Judges will select the winners by Sept. 30, and they will be announced around Oct. 17 at www.challenge.gov.

To help facilitate these challenges, the Labor Department recently launched http://developer.dol.gov, a unique website that makes it easier for software developers to incorporate department data into online and mobile applications through published application program interfaces and software development kits.

News Release

Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS): Core Programs

2011-07-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

CISE's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in three core programs: The Human-Centered Computing program; The Information Integration and Informatics program; and The Robust Intelligence program. IIS is also responsible for managing the review process for proposals in Computer Graphics and Visualization; these proposals may be submitted to any of the three core programs described above.Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows:Small Projects - up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years;Medium Projects - $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years; and Large Projects - $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years.A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description of this document.CISE investments in Small, Medium and Large projects complement the directorate's investments in the Expeditions in Computing program, http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503169&org=CISE, where projects are funded at levels of up to $10,000,000 total for durations up to 5 years.

NSF Publication 11-556

Expected Number of Awards:	200
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$100,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$3,000,000
Award Floor:	$50,000
CFDA Number(s):	47.070 -- Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF): Core Programs

2011-07-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

CISE's Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in three core programs:The Algorithmic Foundations program; The Communications and Information Foundations program; and The Software and Hardware Foundations program. Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows:Small Projects - up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years;Medium Projects - $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years; and Large Projects - $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years.A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description of this document.CISE investments in Small, Medium and Large projects complement the directorate's investments in the Expeditions in Computing program, http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503169&org=CISE&from=home. Expeditions projects are funded at levels of up to $10,000,000 total for durations up to 5 years.

NSF Publication 11-557

Expected Number of Awards:	160
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$100,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$3,000,000
Award Floor:	$50,000
CFDA Number(s):	47.070 -- Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Computer and Network Systems (CNS): Core Programs

2011-07-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

CISE's Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS) supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in two core programs: Computer Systems Research (CSR) program; and Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) program. Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows: Small Projects - up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years; Medium Projects - $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years; and Large Projects - $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years. A more complete description of the three project classes can be found in section II. Program Description of this document. CISE investments in Small, Medium and Large projects complement the directorate??s investments in the Expeditions in Computing program, http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503169&org=CISE&from=home, where projects are funded at levels of up to $10,000,000 total for durations up to 5 years.

NSF Publication 11-555

Expected Number of Awards:	120
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$60,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$3,000,000
Award Floor:	$50,000
CFDA Number(s):	47.070 -- Computer and Information Science and Engineering

NCIIA Grant Programs

2011-06-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Advanced E-Team grants support commercial outcomes by moving technology innovations from the idea stage to prototype and eventually to market. Award amounts are up to $20,000. Annual proposal deadlines are in May and December.

Course and Program grants are awarded to colleges and universities to improve existing programs or build new programs in invention, innovation, and technology entrepreneurship. Award amounts are up to $50,000. Annual proposal deadlines are in May and December.

Sustainable Vision funds and supports transformational educational programs where breakthrough technologies are created and commercialized for the benefit of people living in poverty in the US and abroad.

Funding. Grant award amounts are up to $50,000. The annual proposal deadline is in October. Learn more
Training and Mentoring. Sustainable Vision VentureLab is a 5-day highly experiential workshop designed to enhance the success of your venture.
Faculty Development. Attend Sustainable Vision TeachingLab to expand your knowledge, teaching, and venture engagement in projects that serve emerging markets.

Grants for Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums

2011-06-24T11:59:00.001-07:00

Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. See program guidelines for special conditions of eligibility for this program. Museums that fulfill the general criteria for museums may apply. Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and nonï¿½profit universities, are eligible.

Institute of Museum and Library Services

These grants will support the planning and designing of up to 30 Learning Labs in libraries and museums throughout the country. The Labs are intended to engage middle- and high-school youth in mentor-led, interest-based, youth-centered, collaborative learning using digital and traditional media. Grantees will be required to participate, in-person and online, in a community of practice that will provide technical assistance, networking, and cross-project learning. Projects are expected to provide prototypes for the field and be based on current research about digital media and youth learning. There will be two project deadlines for this grant program, with the second deadline planned for spring 2012.

http://www.imls.gov/about/macarthur.shtm

Motorola Empowerment grants

2011-06-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Motorola Mobility Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Motorola Mobility, Inc., has announced the launch of the Empowerment Grants program, an opportunity for U.S.-based nonprofit organizations to apply for funding to empower their communities through technology. Grants will be provided for programs in the foundation's three areas of focus — education, health and wellness, and community.

The program is designed to support and celebrate everyday, real-life efforts to leverage technology to build stronger communities. Successful programs may include providing technology, and tutoring in the skills needed to use it, for teachers, mentors, and community leaders.

The program is seeking applications from dynamic community organizations that are making a significant contribution to the social fabric of their communities.

Applicants must be a registered or incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a NCES school or school district; have an operating budget under $5 million; and be a U.S.-based online program, a U.S. national program, or be based in the U.S. and serve communities in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania.

Successful applications will demonstrate the ways that digital technology could be used to further an organization's mission. Examples include: Education — building the classroom of the 21st century through incorporating technology; Health and Wellness — driving solutions around the issues of healthy behavior through the use of technology; and Community — fostering innovation and creative solutions for community-based issues, including environmental issues, with technology tools.

Organizations must submit applications online. In addition, applicants are required to submit a three- to five-minute video describing the program for which grant funds are requested and the ways in which digital technology could be used to further enhance that program. All videos must be uploaded to the Motorola Foundation YouTube site prior to submitting the written application.

Visit the Motorola Web site for complete program guidelines and application instructions.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

New Teaching / Learning Resources grants announced

2011-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced grants totaling $20 million in support of programs working to identify and expand cutting-edge learning resources and move innovative new instructional approaches into classrooms.

A significant portion of the funding will support efforts to build a complete system of digital courses aligned to the Common Core State Standards — educational standards for college- and career-ready individuals that are being implemented in more than forty states. The Pearson Foundation, which is developing twenty-four online math and English language arts courses to help teachers and principals implement the standards, was awarded $3 million by the foundation to make these tools more widely available. In addition, the Florida Virtual School was awarded $2 million to develop two literacy-based and two math-based courses that are contextualized within disciplines such as engineering or writing in the natural sciences.

The foundation also awarded $2.6 million to the Digital Youth Network for iRemix, a set of twenty literacy-based learning tracks allow students to earn badges and progress from novice to expert; $2.6 million to Quest Atlantis for the creation of video games that build proficiency in math, literacy, and science; and $2.5 million to the Institute of Play to build a set of game-based pedagogical tools and game-design curricula that can be used within both formal and informal learning contexts. In addition, Next Generation Learning Challenges, a grant competition and community seeking to identify and expand promising technologies that can improve education, will award up to $10 million in grants in June to support projects built around assessments that can help students master seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade content and achieve competencies aligned with the standards.

“Gates Foundation Announces Portfolio of Innovative Grants to Develop New Teaching and Learning Tools That Support Teachers and Help Students.” Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Press Release 4/27/11.

Ideas that matter grants

2011-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sappi Fine Paper North America has announced the 2011 call for entries for Ideas that Matter, an annual grant program that recognizes and supports designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities.

Ideas that Matter grants will be given to individual designers, design firms, agencies, in-house corporate design departments, design instructors, and individual design students and design student groups working on any kind of communication project that supports the needs of a nonprofit organization. At least a portion of the project should be printed. Additional elements may include a variety of communication media such as outdoor signage, T-shirts, banner advertising, print advertising, Web sites, and HTML campaigns.

Project concepts and design entries for Ideas that Matter will be evaluated on their creativity, potential effectiveness, and practicality of implementation. Applications must include the mission statement of the nonprofit organization that will benefit from the campaign and proof of its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt (or Canadian equivalent) status.

Grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 per project may be used for implementation and out-of-pocket costs, including photography, illustration, paper, printing, mailing, and related expenses. Grants cannot be applied toward the designer's time, hardware, or overhead elements such as computers or rent.

For complete program guidelines and the entry form, visit the Sappi Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation

2011-05-01T07:31:00.001-07:00

Computation is accepted as the third pillar supporting innovation and discovery in science and engineering and is central to NSF's vision of a Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21) (as described in http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10015/nsf10015.jsp).Software is an integral enabler of computation, experiment and theory and a primary modality for realizing the CIF21 vision. Scientific discovery and innovation are advancing along fundamentally new pathways opened by development of increasingly sophisticated software. Software is also directly responsible for increased scientific productivity and significant enhancement of researchers' capabilities. In order to nurture, accelerate and sustain this critical mode of scientific progress, NSF has established the Software Infrastructure for Sustained Innovation (SI2) program, with the overarching goal of transforming innovations in research and education into sustained software resources that are an integral part of the cyberinfrastructure.SI2 is a long-term investment focused on catalyzing new thinking, paradigms, and practices in developing and using software to understand natural, human, and engineered systems. SI2's intent is to foster a pervasive cyberinfrastructure to help researchers address problems of unprecedented scale, complexity, resolution, and accuracy by integrating computation, data, networking, observations and experiments in novel ways. It is NSF's expectation that SI2 investment will result in robust, reliable, usable and sustainable software infrastructure that is critical to achieving the CIF21 vision and will transform science and engineering while contributing to the education of next generation researchers and creators of future cyberinfrastructure. Education at all levels will play an important role in integrating such a dynamic cyberinfrastructure into the fabric of how science and engineering is performed. It is expected that SI2 will generate and nurture the interdisciplinary processes required to support the entire software lifecycle, and will successfully integrate software development and support with innovation and research. Furthermore, it will result in the development of sustainable software communities that transcend scientific and geographical boundaries. SI2 envisions vibrant partnerships among academia, government laboratories and industry, including international entities, for the development and stewardship of a sustainable software infrastructure that can enhance productivity and accelerate innovation in science and engineering. The goal of the SI2 program is to create a software ecosystem that includes all levels of the software stack and scales from individual or small groups of software innovators to large hubs of software excellence. The program addresses all aspects of cyberinfrastructure, from embedded sensor systems and instruments, to desktops and high-end data and computing systems, to major instruments and facilities. Furthermore, it recognizes that integrated education activities will play a key role in sustaining the cyberinfrastructure over time and in developing a workforce capable of fully realizing its potential in transforming science and engineering.The SI2 program includes three classes of awards:1. Scientific Software Elements (SSE): SSE awards target small groups that will create and deploy robust software elements for which there is a demonstrated need that will advance one or more significant areas of science and engineering. 2. Scientific Software Integration (SSI): SSI awards target larger, interdisciplinary teams organized around the development and application of common software infrastructure aimed at solving common research problems. SSI awards will result in a sustainable community software framework serving a diverse community. 3. Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2): S2I2 awards will focus on the establishment of long-term hubs of excellence in software infrastructure and technologies, which will serve a research community of substantial size and disciplinary breadth. This solicitation includes SSE and SSI awards only. It is anticipated that S2I2 awards will be competed in a separate future solicitation. Prospective PIs should be aware that SI2 is a multi-directorate activity and are encouraged to submit proposals for software with broad, interdisciplinary interest. PIs are encouraged to refer to core program descriptions, Dear Colleague Letters, and recently posted initiatives on directorate and divisional home pages to gain insight as to the priorities for the relevant area(s) of science that their proposal may be responsive to. For example, the MPS and ENG directorates have particular interest in proposals related to matter by design. As not all units are participating at the same level, it is strongly recommended that prospective PIs contact a program officer from the list of Cognizant Program Officers in the division(s) closest to the major disciplinary impact of the proposed work to ascertain that the scientific focus and budget of the proposed work are appropriate for this solicitation.

NSF Publication 11-539

Hacking Education

2011-04-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, a teacher in the Bronx launched DonorsChoose.org. Since then, more than 165,000 teachers at 43,000 public schools have posted over 300,000 classroom project requests, inspiring $80,000,000 in giving from 400,000 donors.

We've opened up that data, and invite you to make discoveries and build apps that improve education in America. Help to shape your school system's budget by revealing what teachers really need. Build the first mobile app for hyper-local education philanthropy. We've got a list of suggestions to help get you thinking. We hope to build a community of developers and data crunchers, so we're launching a contest!

Top Technology Executives Pledge to Aid Nonprofits

2011-04-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

[from Chronicle of Philanthropy] March 31, 2011, 11:03 am

Executives from Apple, Google, Twitter, and other leading technology companies are among 100 business leaders who have signed the “Palindrome Pledge,” a commitment to spend a year lending their management expertise to nonprofit groups, Fast Company and The Wall Street Journal report.

The program was started Wednesday by Palindrome Advisors, a new nonprofit group formed by the technology entrepreneur Zaw Thet. He likened the effort to a “Match.com for industry leaders and the boards of nonprofits,” referring to the popular online dating site.

Signers commit to spending a year on the board of a charity chosen by Palindrome Advisors and to meeting regularly with each other to compare notes and brainstorm solutions for problems facing their organizations. Most of the participants are from the technology world, but the roster also includes venture capitalists and executives in energy, hospitality, and other industries.

Gates Foundation supports library technology

2011-04-03T06:28:00.001-07:00

The Urban Libraries Council has announced a $2.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to spearhead an effort to develop guidelines for high-quality computer and Internet access at public libraries.

Libraries provide critically important free public access to computers and the Internet, but the quality and level of access varies significantly across the country. According to Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries (212 pages, PDF), a 2010 study conducted by the University of Washington Information School and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, a third of all Americans use public library computers and Internet access to find work, apply for college, secure government benefits, find important health information, and/or connect with their communities.

Led by ULC, a coalition of local library and government leaders will develop a set of benchmarks related to technology access in public libraries that will be piloted in California, Oklahoma, and Texas communities. The benchmarks will then be refined and launched for broad use by the library community in the spring of 2012. While the benchmarks are expected to dovetail with the broader framework for digitally inclusive communities established by IMLS, they will focus exclusively on meaningful, achievable public technology access in libraries.

"As the public institution that provides computer and Internet access to people from all walks of life, libraries must ensure that their technology services continuously advance to enable users to meet twenty-first century opportunities available through technology," said Urban Libraries Council president Susan Benton. "We believe that benchmarks will help local leaders understand the value of public access technology and ensure that those services meet the needs of all community members. Urban Libraries Council is proud to lead and facilitate the work of the benchmarks coalition, which includes outstanding leaders from the library and local government fields."

“National Coalition Will Establish Benchmarks to Support High-Quality Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries.” Urban Libraries Council Press Release 4/01/11.

Erie Innovation Fund

2011-04-03T05:49:00.001-07:00

There’s still time to apply to the Erie Innovation Fund. The purpose of the fund, which is a partnership between the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and Ben Franklin Technology Partners, is to give Erie’s tech-based entrepreneurs and small manufacturers access to local investment capital.

To date, more than a dozen companies that are involved in new product/process development have inquired about the application process. Screening of the applicants and the subsequent review of the proposals will be based on Ben Franklin’s existing due diligence process. However, a local panel of experts and potential investors is being convened to help evaluate submitted proposals.

Companies that receive funding will also have the opportunity to get business mentoring and support from the Ben Franklin Transformation Business Services Network.

Business owners who are interested in applying for funding, or potential investors who want to participate in the Advisory Board, should contact Ben Franklin’s Erie Office at 898-6650.

Science and Technology Centers Integrative Partnerships

2011-03-27T05:06:00.001-07:00

The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports innovative, potentially transformative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among academic institutions, national laboratories, industrial organizations, and/or other public/private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake significant investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or fresh approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any areas of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering. Centers provide a rich environment for encouraging future scientists, engineers, and educators to take risks in pursuing discoveries and new knowledge. STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating bonds between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.NSF expects STCs to demonstrate leadership in the involvement of groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering at all levels (faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers) within the Center. Centers use either proven or innovative mechanisms to address issues such as recruitment, retention and mentorship of participants from underrepresented groups. Centers must undertake activities that facilitate knowledge transfer, i.e., the exchange of scientific and technical information with the objective of disseminating and utilizing knowledge broadly in multiple sectors. Examples of knowledge transfer include technology transfer with the intention of supporting innovation, providing key information to public policy makers, or dissemination of knowledge from one field of science to another.

NSF Publication 11-522

"2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference" — Nonprofit Technology Network

2011-02-14T05:33:00.001-08:00

When:	March 17 - March 19, 2011

Where:	Washington Hilton Washington, D.C.

Our signature three-day gathering brings together nonprofit professionals from around the world to collaborate, innovate, and maximize effectiveness. With a wide mix of social events, seminars, trainings, and resources, the 2011 NTC will help you put technology to work to further your cause.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

The 2011 NTC offers many fun and informative opportunities to connect with peers, exhibitors, and experts who share your commitment – and your challenges. From our member reception and progressive party to one-on-one chats and hands-on trainings, your weekend in the Capital will be chock-full of opportunities to share, bond, and build relationships.

GAIN INSIGHT

There's no shortage of educational experiences at the 2011 NTC. Learn alongside passionate nonprofit pros who, like you, want to use technology effectively to advance their missions and bring about change. Breakout sessions, training courses, and consultations offer the valuable learning opportunities you need to keep moving forward.

CREATE CHANGE

When you attend NTC, you make a solid investment in yourself, your organization, and your mission – and it won't take long to realize a return on that investment. You'll leave D.C. energized and brimming with actionable strategies. Plus, you'll be able to participate in powerful nonprofit initiatives – such as Lobby Day and the Day of Service – that create measurable change.

To register, please visit: http://www.nten.org/ntc/register.

New Tech Network

2011-02-14T05:28:00.001-08:00

[From Philanthropy News Digest]

The New Tech Network has announced a $2.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help the high school development organization focus on teaching that is more relevant, rigorous, and aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

New Tech, a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based KnowledgeWorks that operates in sixty-two high schools across fourteen states, will use the grant to implement programs that emphasize deeper learning and help better prepare students for college and careers, and will begin to develop online and hybrid professional development opportunities that provide continued support for teachers as it scales its efforts to high schools across the United States.

To achieve that goal, the organization will work to improve the quality of teacher-developed projects related to student literacy; introduce a series of "modules" designed to help students develop a better conceptual understanding of math; and develop a training environment that combines the collaborative nature of New Tech's learning management system with technology in educational environments.

“$2.1 Million Grant Awarded to New Tech Network.” New Tech Network Press Release 2/09/11.

Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums

2011-01-22T07:00:00.001-08:00

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, a workforce possessing 21st century skills becomes more clearly vital to ensuring U.S. competitiveness in a global economy. To ensure that the workers of tomorrow are learning the skills they need today, the Obama Administration is dedicated to making improvement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education a national priority. President Obama has launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign, a nationwide effort to bring American students to the forefront in science and math achievement. The President has acknowledged that, while federal leadership is necessary, a real change in education and the development of the skills needed for the future require the participation of many elements of society, through private sector and philanthropic support as well as public-private partnerships. To that end, on September 16, 2010, IMLS and the MacArthur Foundation announced a national partnership to create a network of up to 30 youth Learning Labs in libraries and museums across the country. Inspired by an innovative teen space at the Chicago Public Library called YOUmedia (http://youmediachicago.org/) and the innovations already taking place in science and technology centers, these labs will help young people become makers and creators of content, rather than just consumers of it. This network of Learning Labs will use best practice principles, based on research and evidence in the field of youth digital learning, to engage youth in 21st century skills and effective STEM education. The Labs will be spaces for experimentation for young people to engage with digital and traditional media to promote creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on, interest-based learning.

http://www.imls.gov/pdf/LabsRFP.pdf

App creation challenge

2011-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

[From Be Spacific] News release: "...the FCC announced a challenge to researchers and software developers to engage in research and create apps that help consumers foster, measure, and protect Internet openness. The Open Internet Challenge is part of the FCC’s efforts to empower end users to help preserve Internet openness. Details of the challenge are posted at openinternet.gov/challenge. “This challenge is about using the open Internet to protect the open Internet,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “Our goal is to foster user-developed applications that shine light on any practice that might be inconsistent with the free and open Internet. Empowering consumers with information about their own connections will promote a vibrant, innovative, world-leading broadband ecosystem.” The Open Internet Challenge seeks to encourage the development of innovative and functional applications that provide users with information about the extent to which their fixed or mobile broadband Internet services are consistent with the open Internet. These software tools could, for example, detect whether a broadband provider is interfering with DNS responses, application packet headers, or content."

Second Chance Tech Career grants

2011-01-05T08:13:00.001-08:00

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. There are approximately 94,000 youth in residential confinement within the juvenile justice system on any given day. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. Section 115 of the Second Chance Act authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to make federal awards to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to provide technology career training to persons confined in state prisons, local jails, and juvenile residential facilities. For more information on BJA implementation of the Second Chance Act initiatives and Frequently Asked Questions about this solicitation, visit BJA’s Second Chance Act web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/SecondChance.html.

Full Announcement

Grant supports nonprofit tech

2011-01-03T05:44:00.001-08:00

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The Nonprofit Technology Network in Portland, Oregon, has announced a two-year, $1.1 million grant from the Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund of Tides Foundation to promote the benefits of technology to nonprofit leaders.

The grant will support NTEN's efforts to educate technology leaders about the evolving role of technology in nonprofit work and to produce research and training on cloud technologies — Web-based applications that manage constituent conversations and information — visualization, and collaboration. The funds will also be used to develop and distribute NTEN:Change, a free quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders.

"This is not just an investment in NTEN, it's an investment in our entire sector," said NTEN executive director Holly Ross. "With this support, we can provide new ways to help our community connect with each other and learn about the most important technology strategies, tools, and trends. What's more exciting is that we can now reach beyond our core audiences and help a broader part of the sector transform technology into social change."

“NTEN Receives $1.1Million Grant From Google to Aid Nonprofit Technology Adoption.” NTEN Press Release 12/20/10.

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science

2010-12-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science program supports the active involvement of K-12 science, technology, engineering, computer and information science, and mathematics (STEM) teachers and community college faculty in engineering and computer science research in order to bring knowledge of engineering, computer science, and technological innovation into their classrooms. The goal is to help build long-term collaborative partnerships between K-12 STEM teachers, community college faculty, and the NSF university research community by involving the teachers and community college faculty 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 needs schools are especially encouraged, as is participation by underrepresented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. This announcement features two mechanisms for support of in-service and pre-service K-12 STEM teachers and community college faculty: RET supplements to ongoing ENG or CISE awards and new RET Site awards. RET supplements may be included in proposals for new or renewed NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG) or CISE grants or as supplements to ongoing NSF ENG or CISE funded projects. RET in Engineering and Computer Science 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 STEM teachers and/or community college faculty.

NSF Publication 11-509

New Era Rural Technology Program

2010-11-22T05:51:00.000-08:00

The New Era Rural Technology Competitive Grants Program will make grants available to community colleges or advanced technological centers, located in a rural area, for technology development, applied research, and training necessary to produce graduates capable of strengthening the Nation's technical, scientific and professional workforce in the fields of bioenergy, pulp and paper manufacturing, and agriculture-based renewable energy resources. (Note: see definitions of these terms in Part VIII. E., of the Request for Applications (RFA) document to ensure eligibility).

New Era Rural Technology Competitive Grants Program (RTP)

Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R01)

2010-11-08T05:45:00.001-08:00

Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R01)

This FOA issued by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institute on Aging (NIA), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the Office of Research on Womens Health (ORWH) encourages Research Project Grant (R01) applications for research and development of technologies that monitor health or deliver care in a real-time, accessible, effective, and minimally obtrusive way. These systems are expected to integrate, process, analyze, communicate, and present data so that the individuals are engaged and empowered in their own healthcare with reduced burden to care providers. The development of these technology systems has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, people aging with mild impairments, as well as individuals with chronic conditions.

Design and Development of Novel Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R21)

2010-11-08T05:44:00.001-08:00

This FOA encourages Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (R21) applications for research and development of novel technologies that monitor health, inform clinical decisions, or deliver therapies in a real-time and minimally obtrusive way. These are technologies that enable monitoring of personal motion, vital signs, and physiological measures in a manner that minimizes disruption to an individual’s daily routine and at all times protects their privacy, dignity and comfort. These systems are expected to integrate, process, analyze, communicate, and present data so that the individuals are engaged and empowered in their own healthcare with reduced burden to care providers. Effective application of home-based and mobile technologies has the potential to increase adherence to rehabilitation and medical regimens, reduce incidence of avoidable post-acute complications, and improve self-care management of chronic conditions. Proposals to refine or enhance existing systems or to evaluate them in particular settings are referred to the companion FOA for R01s [Technologies for Healthy Independent Living (R01)].

Some examples of appropriate topics for this FOA include but are not limited to:

Activity monitoring devices or sensors to detect personal care needs
Activity monitoring devices or sensors to detect acute medical events
Devices to ensure adherence to rehabilitation and medical regimens
Real-time monitoring and management of chronic conditions
Monitoring systems to detect progressive decline in physical and cognitive abilities
Therapeutic or management systems to address physical or cognitive decline
Fall detection or prevention systems
Devices to monitor and facilitate sleep health
Technologies aimed at helping the lay care-giver or professional provider
Research and development for improved human-computer interfaces for home-use technologies

CISE Cross-Cutting Programs: FY 2011

2010-10-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

This solicitation seeks proposals in areas that are scientifically timely, and that benefit from the intellectual contributions of researchers with expertise in a number of computing fields and/or sub-fields. The cross-cutting programs for FY 2011 are:Network Science and Engineering; Smart Health and Wellbeing; and Trustworthy Computing.The full descriptions of these programs can be found in the II. Program Description section of this solicitation. CISE expects that over time, these cross-cutting programs will evolve or be absorbed into the core programs, and that new cross-cutting programs will be introduced.

Deadline(s): Dec 17, 2010 Submission Window Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): September 01, 2010 - September 15, 2010 MEDIUM Projects November 01, 2010 - November 28, 2010 LARGE Projects December 01, 2010 - December 17, 2010 SMALL Projects

Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation

2010-10-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Expected Number of Awards: 30
Estimated Total Program Funding:$36,000,000
Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) is NSF's bold five-year initiative to create revolutionary science and engineering research outcomes made possible by innovations and advances in computational thinking. Computational thinking is defined comprehensively to encompass computational concepts, methods, models, algorithms, and tools. Applied in challenging science and engineering research and education contexts, computational thinking promises a profound impact on the Nation's ability to generate and apply new knowledge. Collectively, CDI research outcomes are expected to produce paradigm shifts in our understanding of a wide range of science and engineering phenomena and socio-technical innovations that create new wealth and enhance the national quality of life. CDI seeks ambitious, transformative, multidisciplinary research proposals within or across the following three thematic areas: From Data to Knowledge: enhancing human cognition and generating new knowledge from a wealth of heterogeneous digital data;Understanding Complexity in Natural, Built, and Social Systems: deriving fundamental insights on systems comprising multiple interacting elements; and Virtual Organizations: enhancing discovery and innovation by bringing people and resources together across institutional, geographical and cultural boundaries. With an emphasis on bold multidisciplinary activities that, through computational thinking, promise radical, paradigm-changing research findings, CDI promotes transformative research within NSF.

Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF): Core Programs

2010-10-20T04:46:00.000-07:00

Synopsis of Program:

$5.1 M in broadband funds

2010-10-18T07:27:00.001-07:00

Governor Edward G. Rendell announced Pennsylvania will receive $5.1 million in federal Recovery Act funds to help boost broadband Internet access across the state. The award supplements $2.2 million in funds the state received in January. Learn more.

Digital Humanities Start-Up grants

2010-10-11T05:43:00.001-07:00

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites applications to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program. This program is designed to encourage innovations in the digital humanities. By awarding relatively small grants to support the planning stages, NEH aims to encourage the development of innovative projects that promise to benefit the humanities. Proposals should be for the planning or initial stages of digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants may involve research that brings new approaches or documents best practices in the study of the digital humanities; planning and developing prototypes of new digital tools for preserving, analyzing, and making accessible digital resources, including libraries’ and museums’ digital assets; scholarship or studies that examine the philosophical or practical implications and impact of the use of emerging technologies in specific fields or disciplines of the humanities, or in interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines; innovative uses of technology for public programming and education utilizing both traditional and new media; and new digital modes of publication that facilitate the dissemination of humanities scholarship in advanced academic as well as informal or formal educational settings at all academic levels. Innovation is a hallmark of this grant category. All applicants must propose an innovative approach, method, tool, or idea that has not been used before in the humanities. These grants are modeled, in part, on the “high risk/high reward” paradigm often used by funding agencies in the sciences. NEH is requesting proposals for projects that take some risks in the pursuit of innovation and excellence.

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/digitalhumanitiesstartup.html

Knight Foundation awards $3.1M

2010-09-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

[From Philanthropy News Digest]

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has announced matching grants totaling more than $3.1 million to nineteen community and place-based foundations to support local news and information projects.

Awarded through the Knight Community Information Challenge, the grants will support projects in cities from Miami to Anchorage. Grantees include the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, which received $305,500 to expand the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network; the Hawai'i Community Foundation, which will use its $240,500 grant to create a statewide student news network in partnership with PBS Hawaii; and the New York Community Trust, which received $110,500 to broaden civic dialogue in New York City by strengthening ethnic media through digital training.

For a complete list of grantees and their projects, visit the Knight Foundation Web site.

“Locally Focused Foundations Increase Support for Community News and Information Projects.” John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Press Release 9/12/10.

Accelerating Innovation Research

2010-09-05T05:49:00.001-07:00

To accelerate the process of innovation, NSF is undertaking two related, new activities. The first will encourage the translation of the numerous, technologically-promising, fundamental discoveries made by NSF researchers, while drawing upon and building the entrepreneurial spirit of the researchers and students. The second activity will foster connections between an existing NSF innovation research alliance (including consortia such as Engineering Research Centers (ERC), Industry University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC), Partnerships for Innovation (PFI), Science and Technology Centers (STC), Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSEC), Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) grantees) and other institutions, whose complementary focus will spur the development of discoveries into innovative technologies through collaboration. Both of these activities are designed to strengthen the U.S. innovation ecosystem. WEBINAR: A webinar will be held in September 2010 to answer any questions about this solicitation. Details will be posted on the Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) website (www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=iip) as they become available.

NSF Publication 10-608

2010-09-03T05:53:00.001-07:00

Computer and Network Systems (CORE programs)

2010-06-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

The National Science Foundation supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in two core programs: The Computer Systems Research (CSR) program; and The Networking Technology and Systems (NeTS) program. Proposers are invited to submit proposals in three project classes, which are defined as follows: Small Projects - up to $500,000 total budget with durations up to three years; Medium Projects - $500,001 to $1,200,000 total budget with durations up to four years; and Large Projects - $1,200,001 to $3,000,000 total budget with durations up to five years.

EDA i6 Challenge

2010-06-14T06:07:00.001-07:00

The i6 Challenge is a new $12 million innovation competition administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF). EDA will award up to $1 million to each of six winning teams with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in their regions. NIH and NSF will award a total of up to $6 million in supplemental funding to their SBIR grantees that are associated or partnered with the winning teams. We encourage entrepreneurs, investors, universities, foundations, and non-profits to participate in the i6 Challenge. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2010. For more information, email i6@doc.gov, check out our Frequently Asked Questions, and join the upcoming i6 Challenge conference call in June.

Sloan Consortium Invites Nominations for Online Education Awards

2010-05-11T07:14:00.001-07:00

[From Philanthropy News Digest] Deadline: August 15, 2010

Originally funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan Consortium is an institutional and professional leadership organization dedicated to integrating online education into the mainstream of higher education and to helping institutions and individual educators improve the quality, scale, and breadth of online education.

The Call for Nominations for the 2010 Sloan-C awards is now available.

The 2010 Sloan-C Awards for Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning will present awards in the categories of Excellence in Online Teaching (Individual), Outstanding Achievement in Online Education by an Individual Outstanding Online Program, Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching, and Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Education. Individual nominees must be employed by a Sloan-C member institution or be individual members of Sloan-C; program and institutional awards are also limited to Sloan-C member institutions and organizations. Nominations for individual awards must be made by an institutional representative other than the nominee. Individual awards include a commemorative plaque and $2,000; institutional awards consist of a commemorative plaque only.

The 2010 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education will be presented to an institution that has demonstrated its commitment to assessing and improving the quality of its online education programs through quantitative application of the five Sloan-C quality pillars (access, learning effectiveness, cost effectiveness, student satisfaction, and faculty satisfaction). Institutions may apply for the Gomory Award based on a single degree program, a cluster of such programs within a department or a school, or the online degree offerings for the entire institution. The award includes a commemorative plaque and $5,000 to be used by the recipient institution to fund “Sloan-C Gomory Scholarships” to students enrolled in its online programs.

The 2010 A. Frank Mayadas Leadership Award in Online Education will honor a prominent professional whose work has had significant positive impact on online learning within the higher education community. Nominees must be individual members of the Sloan Consortium directly associated with leading, coordinating, or managing an online learning program in higher education; the program must be one of quality, scale, and breadth. Anyone may submit nominations for the award, which consists of a commemorative plaque and a contribution in the amount of $2,000 to a scholarship fund of the recipient’s choice. Award recipients will also be invited to present a talk at the Sloan-C Annual Conference on a subject of their choice, reflecting their area of professional expertise and interest.

The awards will be presented at the Sixteenth International Conference on Online Learning in Orlando, Florida, on November 4, 2010.

Visit the Sloan-C Web site for award nomination guidelines.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Telemedicine

2010-04-19T02:40:00.000-07:00

Deadline: May 18, 2010

Expected Number of Awards:	260
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$30,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$500,000
Award Floor:	$50,000

Since its creation in 1993, the DLT program has invested $306 million to fund more than 920 projects in 48 states and four territories. Funds may be used to acquire end-user telecommunications equipment such as videoconferencing equipment needed to provide distance learning and telemedicine services to rural communities.

To be eligible for a grant, your organization must: : 1 Currently deliver or propose to deliver distance learning or telemedicine services for the term of the grant. To receive a grant, the purposes must meet the grant definition of distance learning and/or telemedicine. The DLT program is focused on sustainability. Planning studies, research projects, and short-term demonstration projects of less than life of the award (three years) will not be considered. 2. Be legally organized as an incorporated organization or partnership; an Indian tribe or tribal organization; a state or local unit of government; a consortium; or other legal entity, including a private corporation organized on a for profit or not-for profit basis with the legal capacity to contract with the United States Government. Specific legal definitions and citations can be found in 7 CFR 1703.103(a)(1) & 1703.125(k). Note : Many applicants for DLT Grants are informal consortia (groups of legal entities such as school districts that are working together specifically for the purpose of the grant project but that do not have a separate existence as a consortium). For additional guidance about applying as a consortium, please turn to Legal Eligibility under Section IV-B. 3.Operate a rural community facility or deliver distance learning or telemedicine services to entities that operate a rural community facility or to residents of rural areas at rates calculated to ensure that the benefit of the financial assistance passes through to such entities or to residents of rural areas.

National Broadband Plan

2010-03-19T05:39:00.001-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission has delivered to Congress a National Broadband Plan setting an ambitious agenda for connecting all corners of the nation while transforming the economy and society with the communications network of the future -- robust, affordable Internet.

Titled "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan" the Plan found that while broadband access and use have increased over the past decade, the nation must do much more to connect all individuals and the economy to broadband's transformative benefits. Nearly 100 million Americans lack broadband at home today, and 14 million Americans do not have access to broadband even if they want it. Only 42 percent of people with disabilities use broadband at home, while as few as 5 percent of people living on Tribal lands have access. Meanwhile, the cost of digital exclusion for the student unable to access the Internet to complete a homework assignment, or for the unemployed worker who can't search for a job online, continues to grow.

Other gaps threaten America's global competitiveness. A looming shortage of wireless spectrum could impede U.S. innovation and leadership in popular wireless mobile broadband services. More useful applications, devices, and content are needed to create value for consumers. And the nation has failed to harness broadband's power to transform delivery of government services, health care, education, public safety, energy conservation, economic development, and other national priorities.

The news release provides additional background and summarizes the goals and recommendations contained in the plan.

Chapter 13 of the plan - Economic Opportunity - specifically addresses:

Supporting Entrepreneurship and America's Small Businesses
Job Training and Workforce Development
Promoting Telework
Local and Regional Economic Development

National Broadband plan

2010-03-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

News release: "Titled Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan, the Plan found that while broadband access and use have increased over the past decade, the nation must do much more to connect all individuals and the economy to broadband’s transformative benefits. Nearly 100 million Americans lack broadband at home today, and 14 million Americans do not have access to broadband even if they want it. Only 42 percent of people with disabilities use broadband at home, while as few as 5 percent of people living on Tribal lands have access. Meanwhile, the cost of digital exclusion for the student unable to access the Internet to complete a homework assignment, or for the unemployed worker who can’t search for a job online, continues to grow." [News item from "Be Spacific" (sic]

PA Cyber Charter School Expo

2010-03-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

[From Erie Blogs.com] The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School will hold a free Information Expo in Erie on March 30^th from 5-8 pm. The expo, to be hosted at the Ambassador Banquet Center, will explain how the schools work: the curriculum, materials, and technical and instructional support. Teachers, administrators, admissions counselors and technical support staff will be present to answer any questions. Interested families may register at www.pacyber.org.

Cloud Services grant

2010-03-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

Cloud services represent a growing paradigm of on-demand access (as a service) to computing, data and software utilities, an abstraction of unlimited resources, and a usage-based billing model. Underlying these cloud (infrastructure, platform, data, software, etc.) services are consolidated and virtualized data centers that provide virtual machine (VM) containers hosting computation and applications from a large numbers of distributed users. It is anticipated that cloud platforms and services will increasingly play a critical role in academic, government and industry sectors, and will thus have widespread societal impact.NSF's goal is to provide the science and engineering communities with the opportunity to leverage highly-scalable cloud computing platforms to conduct research and education activities in cloud computing and data-intensive computing, and their applications.

This solicitation specifically focuses on the use of Microsoft's Windows Azure platform as a complement to the computational platforms that NSF has made available to the research community to date. While the main focus of the Computing in the Cloud (CiC) program is to stimulate basic and applied research in cloud computing through the Microsoft Azure platform, the potential to foster simultaneous advances in other fields of science and engineering is both recognized and encouraged.CiC proposals may be submitted in response to this solicitation, or as supplements to existing awards, or as EAGER proposals, as described later in this solicitation.

Small Business Technology Transfer Program

2010-03-15T05:48:00.001-07:00

Microsoft supports Veterans

2010-03-12T05:55:00.001-08:00

Microsoft has announced that it will contribute $2 million in cash and up to $6 million in software over the next two years to support programs that help prepare veterans and their spouses for twenty-first century jobs.

Building on its Elevate America initiative, Microsoft will award cash, software, and other resources to eligible organizations working to provide technology skills training, job placement, career counseling, and other support services to active-duty service members as well as members of the National Guard and Reserves who are transitioning out of the military and into the civilian workforce. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the first organization to join the coalition and will work with Microsoft over the next two years on the initiative.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 185,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are unemployed. While veterans often possess abundant leadership skills, many lack the formal education, training, and/or certifications needed to join the civilian work force. More than half of today's jobs require at least some technology skills, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the figure will reach 77 percent within a decade.

"Our servicemen and women are amazing leaders, but to be able to compete in the tough job market when they return from duty, many of them need access to technology training," said Pamela Passman, corporate vice president of Microsoft Global Corporate Affairs. "We are bringing together organizations and companies that can combine their competencies and resources with ours to make the greatest possible impact to help veterans and their spouses."

“Microsoft Announces Initiative to Help Prepare U.S. Veterans for Jobs.” Microsoft Press Release 3/08/10.

New Broadband in low-income communities report

2010-03-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

Educational systems, employers, and government agencies at all levels have shifted services online—and are pushing rapidly to do more. Price remains only one factor shaping the fragile equilibrium of home broadband adoption, and library and community organizations fill the gap by providing critical training and support services while under severe economic pressures. Commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to analyze the factors shaping low rates of adoption of home broadband services in low-income and other marginalized communities, this SSRC study is one of the only large-scale qualitative investigations of barriers to adoption in the US and complements FCC survey research on adoption designed to inform the 2010 National Broadband Plan. The study draws on some 170 interviews of non-adopters, community access providers, and other intermediaries conducted across the US in late 2009 and early 2010 and identifies a range of factors that make broadband services hard to acquire and even harder to maintain in such communities.

Access the full report here.

PA receives $17 million for health IT

2010-02-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

Harrisburg – The Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform has received more than $17 million in federal Recovery Act funds to help develop a health information “superhighway” to connect health care practitioners, patients, facilities and pharmacies through a secure network giving them the ability to have a complete record of a patient’s medical history.

“The transition to an electronic system of health records is another critical step in achieving the goals of Governor Rendell’s comprehensive Prescription for Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange, or PHIX, which is the name of our superhighway, will support patient-centered health care and improve access, quality and efficiency of care,” said Ann Torregrossa, director of the Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform.

Increased use of health IT will allow for better coordination and delivery of health care across Pennsylvania. An effective health information exchange will allow health care providers to see a patient’s entire health care story, saving valuable resources and allowing them to focus on healthcare delivery. Read the full story here.

Advanced Technological Education

2010-02-14T08:35:00.001-08:00

With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and employers to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways to two-year colleges from secondary schools and from two-year colleges to four-year institutions; and other activities. Another goal is articulation between two-year and four-year programs for K-12 prospective teachers that focus on technological education. The program also invites proposals focusing on research to advance the knowledge base related to technician education.

Expected Number of Awards: 90
Estimated Total Program Funding: $64,000,000
Award Ceiling: $5,000,000
Award Floor: $70,000

Funding for MS Cloud services

2010-02-07T06:47:00.000-08:00

[From "Be Spacific" (sic)] "Microsoft Corp. and the National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced an agreement that will offer individual researchers and research groups selected through NSF's merit review process free access to advanced cloud computing resources. By extending the capabilities of powerful, easy-to-use PC applications via Microsoft cloud services, the program is designed to help broaden research capabilities, foster collaborative research communities, and accelerate scientific discovery. Projects will be awarded and managed by NSF. More details about funding opportunities are available here."

Youth Technology Grant

2010-02-03T06:21:00.001-08:00

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The Entertainment Software Association Foundation is dedicated to supporting positive programs and opportunities that make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The foundation seeks to harness the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact in its communities. The foundation supports geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American boys and girls of all races and religions.

To be eligible for funding, an applicant must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization; seek funding for a specific project or program that is or will be implemented or available nationwide or at a minimum in two or more states in the United States; serve American youth between the ages of 7 and 18; and provide programs and services that utilize technology and/or computer and video games to educate America's youth and young adults.

The grant application deadline is April 15, 2010, for projects to be implemented in 2011. Proposals received after April 15 will be considered for the subsequent funding cycle. Applications are accepted year-round and are reviewed annually in May/June. Final decisions are made in July/August for the following calendar year. First-time awardees can receive grants of up to $50,000 each.

For more information and application, visit the ESA Foundation Web site.

Dept. of Education Data Report

2010-02-03T06:04:00.001-08:00

January 27, 2010 -- States and districts are making significant progress in building educational data systems and are starting to use that valuable data to change classroom practice and improve student achievement, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Education. But school leaders are still searching for the best models to mine the data to discover the best instructional methods for students, the report says.

In “Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement,” researchers surveyed officials from 529 districts, conducted in-depth site visits to 36 schools in 12 districts leading the way in data usage, and analyzed secondary data from a survey of over 6,000 teachers to obtain a national picture of current data use practices at the local-level.

Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities

2010-02-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

The goal of this funding opportunity is to support projects that engage the public in educational activities that utilize emerging and/or advanced technologies and leverage NOAA assets to improve understanding, and stewardship of the local and global environment. There is specific interest in projects that use emerging and/or advanced technologies to (1) facilitate outdoor experiences involving scientific inquiry and exploration of the natural world apart from formal K-12 curricula and (2) visualize, display, and interpret data to improve understanding and provide a systems perspective of Earth's dynamic processes. This program has two priorities. Priority 1 is for large-scale projects that occur over a longer duration with regional to national implementation. Priority 2 is for small-scale projects that occur over a shorter duration with local to regional implementation. Funded projects will be between one and five years in duration.

$7,500,000 is available, with an anticipated 10 awards. Deadline is April 6, 2010.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation

2010-01-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Department of Commerce (United States Patent and Trademark Office) is accepting nominations for its National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI). If you know of a candidate who has made an outstanding, lasting contribution to the economy
through the promotion of technology or technological manpower, you may obtain a nomination form from: http://www.uspto.gov/about/nmti/index.jsp.

The primary purpose of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is to recognize American innovators whose vision, creativity, and brilliance in moving ideas to market has had a profound and lasting impact on our economy and way of life. The Medal highlights the national importance of fostering technological innovation based upon solid science, resulting in commercially successful products and services. Information on eligibility and nomination criteria is provided on the Nominations Guidelines Form at http://www.uspto.gov/about/nmti/index.jsp.

Computer Science - STEM grant

2010-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is accepting proposals with innovative new ideas to encourage students to major in Computer Science (CS)-STEM and pursue careers as engineers and scientists. Increasing the number of graduates in Computer Science is a key goal, but the project will also be considered a success if the number of graduates in the broader STEM community is increased.

The goal of the CS-STEM Education project is to develop a well-educated population of college-level graduates in computer science, science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics. This may be accomplished by various means; however, proposals are expected to describe the model to be used, which must include two basic elements: Student Activities and Organizational Structure. Offerors must create compelling activities, requiring STEM, that are targeted to middle (grades 7, 8) and high school (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) students.

Small Business Technology grant

2010-01-19T05:45:00.001-08:00

The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, administered by the National Institutes of Health, is intended to stimulate a partnership of ideas and technologies between innovative small business concerns (SBCs) and non-profit research institutions through Federally-funded research or research and development (R/R&D). By providing awards to SBCs for cooperative R/R&D efforts with non-profit research institutions, the STTR program assists the small business and research communities by commercializing innovative technologies. More details on funding priorities can be found in the guidelines.

Small Business Innovation grant

2010-01-13T07:36:00.001-08:00

Small Business Innovation Research Program invites projects which address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. Activities may include: conducting manufacturing-related R&D that encompasses improvements in existing methods or processes, or wholly new processes, machines, or systems; exploring the uses of technology to ensure equal access to education, employment, community environments, and information for individuals with disabilities; and improving the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research. Priorities include:

(1) Increased independence of individuals with disabilities in the
workplace, recreational settings, or educational settings through the
development of technology to support access and promote integration of
individuals with disabilities.
(2) Enhanced sensory or motor function of individuals with
disabilities through the development of technology to support improved
functional capacity.
(3) Enhanced workforce participation through the development of
technology to support access to employment, promote sustained
employment, and promote employment advancement for individuals with
disabilities.
(4) Enhanced community participation and living for individuals
with disabilities through the development of accessible information
technology including Web access technology, software, and other systems
and devices that promote access to information in educational,
employment, and community settings, and voting technology that improves
access for individuals with disabilities.
(5) Improved interventions and increased use of health-care
resources through the development of technology to support independent
access to health-care services in the community for individuals with
disabilities.

Application deadline is March 15, 2010.

$2 million digital media competition

2010-01-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced a $2 million open competition for ideas to transform learning using digital media. The competition seeks designers, inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and others to build digital media experiences – the learning labs of the 21st Century – that help young people interact, share, build, tinker, and explore in new and innovative ways. Supported by a grant to the University of California at Irvine, the competition was planned and announced in partnership with National Lab Day, a movement to revitalize science, technology, engineering and math in schools that was highlighted at a White House event today.

Wireless Innovation grants

2010-01-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Vodafone Americas Foundation is accepting applications for wireless innovation project grants until February 1, 2010. More information is available on their website here. The competition's purpose to promote innovation and increase implementation of wireless related technology for a better world.