Youth Technology Grants

[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

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

Description

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). 

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 11-587

Small Business Technology Transfer program

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.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 11-561

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

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

Description

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.

Link to Full Announcement

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

Description

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.

Link to Full Announcement

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

Description

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.

Link to Full Announcement

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

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

Additional Information on Eligibility:

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 non�profit universities, are eligible.

Agency Name

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Description

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.

Link to Full Announcement

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

Motorola Empowerment grants

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

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

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

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.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 11-539

Hacking Education

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

[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

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

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

Description

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.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 11-522

"2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference" — Nonprofit Technology Network

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

[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

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.

Link to Full Announcement

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

App creation challenge

[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

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.

Link to Full Announcement

Full Announcement

Grant supports nonprofit tech

[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.