KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

Activities in Science, Engineering and Mathematics for Persons with Disabilities (PPD) Primary Sponsor: National Science Foundation Deadline: 5/15/2001 KEYWORDS Complete Title: Program for Persons with Disabilities (PPD) Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education (RAD) Program NSF-01-67 DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES FULL PROPOSAL DEADLINE(S): May 15, 2001 Synopsis of Program: The Program for Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education (RAD) is dedicated to increasing the number of people with disabilities employed in the nation's science, engineering, and technology work force. To accomplish this end, PPD supports projects designed to: * bring about needed changes in academic and professional climates, * increase the awareness and recognition of the needs and capabilities of students with disabilities, * promote the accessibility and appropriateness of instructional materials, media, and educational technologies, and * increase the availability of student enrichment resources including mentoring activities. In short, efforts are dedicated to changing the factors wherein neglect, paucity, and indirection historically restricted the study of science and mathematics by students with disabilities, and impeded the advancement of these individuals as they prepared themselves for careers in SMET fields. In support of these goals, and in recognition of findings from past activities, PPD is initiating support for regional alliances. I. INTRODUCTION The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a mandate to ensure the vitality of the United States in the scientific and technical enterprise. The goals of the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD), located in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), are directed toward this end by promoting activities to increase the participation of traditionally underrepresented communities in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education and careers. Within HRD, the Program for Persons with Disabilities (PPD) is committed to increasing the number of persons with disabilities engaged in SMET careers by bringing about needed change in academic and professional climates, increasing the awareness and recognition of the needs and capabilities of persons with disabilities, promoting the accessibility and appropriateness of instructional materials, media, and educational technologies; and increasing the availability of student enrichment resources including mentoring activities. In short, efforts are dedicated to changing the factors wherein neglect, paucity, and indirection historically restricted the study of science and mathematics available to students with disabilities, and that impeded the advancement of these individuals as they prepared themselves for careers in SMET fields. In support of these goals, and in recognition of findings from past activities, PPD is initiating support for regional alliances. II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Cumulative research results from previously funded PPD projects designed to recruit, train, and retain students with disabilities in SMET education and career development activities consistently identify project elements that succeed in bringing increased numbers of students with disabilities into full participation in SMET education and careers. Key among these activities are: (1) Hands-on science experiences in pre-college science education environments, (2) Formal research experiences as undergraduates, (3) Preparation of faculty for inclusion and full participation of students with disabilities in SMET curricula, (4) Bridge programs between academic levels, and (5) Mentoring by successful SMET professionals and students who have disabilities. Further, research results have demonstrated that comprehensive projects that are able to implement most or all of these elements are far more successful in the goal of recruiting, training, and retaining students with disabilities in SMET education. Such projects have demonstrated success in graduating students with disabilities with baccalaureate degrees leading directly to graduate training or to employment in their desired field. The Foundation will support the design and operation of comprehensive Regional Alliances in SMET Education for Persons with Disabilities (RAD). These Regional Alliances will emphasize implementation of the project elements that have proven successful in prior PPD-supported projects. Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities (RAD) are alliances established by Universities and colleges throughout academia, industry, government, and national research laboratories. These academic partnerships should include four-year and two-year institutions and pre-college educational entities. The alliances must be comprehensive, multidisciplinary programs designed to increase the quantity and quality of students with disabilities receiving associate and baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET). Subsequently, the Regional Alliances must work to increase the number of these graduates who enter careers in SMET disciplines and the number who enter graduate school training in pursuit of doctorate degrees in SMET disciplines. To achieve these goals, the PPD Regional Alliances will need to provide comprehensive educational and research experiences and the support services needed to recruit students with disabilities into SMET education and career development activities throughout their years of academic training. They will also need to develop strategies to reduce the barriers that inhibit the interest, participation, retention, and advancement in SMET education and careers for persons with disabilities. Prospective proposers are strongly encouraged to give specific attention in the design of projects to the critical issues that hinder the inclusion and participation in SMET education of students with disabilities, and provision of activities that have been successful in retaining these students in their pursuit of SMET careers. These activities include, but are not limited to: - inclusion and participation in elementary, secondary and undergraduate level mathematics and science courses; - availability of, and participation in, science enrichment activities through intra- and extracurricular hands-on research experiences; - availability of, and access to, appropriate mathematics and science instructional materials, media, educational technologies, and laboratory experiences; - interaction with role models and mentors; - positive attitudes of pre-college teachers, counselors, and higher education faculty; - career guidance; - establishment of bridging programs between one academic level and the next; - provision of drop-in SMET tutorial centers for students with disabilities in undergraduate institutions; and - relevant SMET summer internships and research experiences for high school and undergraduate students with disabilities. PPD Regional Alliances should conduct appropriate formative and summative evaluation and research activities to improve and assess the effectiveness of strategies that improve participation of students with disabilities in SMET education. Examples of activities that are appropriate in this category include, but are not limited to: - examination of effective methods for teaching science or mathematics so that students with disabilities perform competitively with other students on their education level; - adaptation of existing science or mathematics curricular materials so that they are appropriate for all students including those with disabilities (to be conducted collaboratively with the publisher or other disseminators to ensure rapid dissemination of the new products); - development or adaptation of educational technology or media to ensure independent use by students with disabilities; - efforts to overcome stereotyping of persons with disabilities among parents, teachers, peers, and co-workers; - provision of science enrichment activities for students with disabilities; and - exploration of the maximum use of scientists with disabilities as mentors to improve the interest, performance, and retention of students with disabilities in SMET education. DEADLINES Proposal packages must be received at NSF no later than May 15, 2001. PROJECT EVALUATION All proposals submitted to the Program for Persons with Disabilities under any competition must identify the project outcomes to be targeted for each year of the proposed award. Techniques and/or instruments to be used for measuring these outcomes must be described in the Project Description as a part of the Evaluation Plan. Awardees will be required to participate in a program-level evaluation by which NSF can assess quantitative gains in relevant measures for students with disabilities and make qualitative assessments of the process of change. Projects are expected to have the capability of collecting and analyzing data derived from program evaluation activities. In addition, it is expected that each project will complement this effort with its own formative evaluation. OUTCOME MEASURES The effort required for developing a research and evaluation plan and collecting, measuring, and reporting appropriate outcome data should be supported in the proposed budget. The program will formulate common outcome measures in the coming year. These measures will be refined in collaboration with the recipients of the cooperative agreements. The following are illustrative of outcome measures to be reported: number of students with disabilities enrolled in SMETcourses, accommodations used, and their level of success; number of these students obtaining degrees in a SMET discipline, and the number entering graduate school or careers in SMET fields. Similar outcome measures must be reported for participants in faculty enhancement activities. III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION Only universities and colleges are eligible to submit proposals to this program. IV. AWARD INFORMATION Regional Alliance projects may be up to five years in length. A budget request of up to $700,000 for Year 1 is allowed with future year budget requests increasing annually by increments of an additional $50,000 for each of the subsequent four years (Year 2: $750,000, Year 3: $800,000, Year 4: $850,000, and Year 5: $900,000), pending the availability of funds. V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Full Proposal: Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF Web Site at: http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf012 Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov. PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS Preliminary proposals are not required for this solicitation. Prospective proposers are strongly encouraged to discuss proposed projects with the program officer by calling (703) 292-4674. FORMAL PROPOSALS The deadline for all formal proposals to be submitted to the Program for Persons with Disabilities under this solicitation is May 15, 2001. Formal proposals should include the project description components as described below. Except as modified by the guidelines set forth in this document, standard NSF guidelines on proposal preparation, submission, evaluation, awards, declinations, and withdrawals contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) (NSF 01-2) are applicable. In particular, proposers should note that the Project Description is strictly limited to 15 pages; 30 double-spaced pages are not acceptable. Appendices may be included, but should not contain extraneous materials. Appendices should be limited to brief curriculum vitae and letters of commitment to document collaborative arrangements of significance described in the Project Description portion of the proposal. Proposers should be judicious in this regard, as NSF leaves to individual reviewer discretion what part of the appendices, if any, should be read. Only one university or college in the alliance may submit the proposal. It should describe clearly the role to be played by the other organizations, and should specify the managerial arrangements contemplated. If all or part of the project will be performed off-campus or away from organizational headquarters, a rationale should be provided. The Project Description section for proposals submitted to the Program for Persons with Disabilities must include: - goals and objectives; - project design, including a demonstration of understanding of previous research and projects; anticipated impact of the project; timeline for activities; and dissemination strategies; - description of participant recruitment and selection; - evaluation and assessment plan; - qualifications of staff (and a list of advisory committee members, if applicable); - description of participating organizations (and their responsibilities); letters of agreement must be included in the appendices; - planned products or publications; - discussion of the results of relevant prior NSF support if received within the last five years (see page 10 of the GPG for further clarification). Proposers are reminded to identify the program solicitation number (NSF-01-67 ) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207). Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing. B. Budgetary Information Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program Solicitation. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable. C. Deadline/Target Dates Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s): Full Proposals by 5:00 PM local time: May 15, 2001 D. FastLane Requirements Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals for this Program Solicitation through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm For FastLane user support, call 1-800-673-6188. Submission of Signed Cover Sheets. The signed copy of the proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) must be postmarked (or contain a legible proof of mailing date assigned by the carrier) within five working days following proposal submission and be forwarded to the following address: National Science Foundation DIS – FastLane Cover Sheet 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230 VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION A. NSF Proposal Review Process Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest at the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal. Proposals will be reviewed against the following general review criteria established by the National Science Board. Following each criterion are potential considerations that the reviewer may employ in the evaluation. These are suggestions and not all will apply to any given proposal. Each reviewer will be asked to address only those that are relevant to the proposal and for which he/she is qualified to make judgements. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources? What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity? How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society? Principal Investigators should address the following elements in their proposal to provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to both of the above-described NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give these elements careful consideration in making funding decisions. Integration of Research and Education One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learning perspectives. Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities -- is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports. A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and signed by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding. B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation will be reviewed by Panel Review. Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation. NSF will be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months for 95 percent of proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal deadline or target date or from the date of receipt, if deadlines or target dates are not used by the program. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation. In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at its own risk. VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION A. Notification of the Award Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program Division administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See section VI.A. for additional information on the review process.) B. Award Conditions An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF-GC-1)* or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of Grants and Agreements. *These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov. More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO Web site at http://www.gpo.gov C. Reporting Requirements For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days before expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the requirement to file the final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data. NSF has implemented an electronic project reporting system, available through FastLane. This system permits electronic submission and updating of project reports, including information on project participants (individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications, and other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION General inquiries regarding Program for Persons with Disabilities should be made to: * Dr. Lawrence Scadden, Program Director, Directorate for Educaton and Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development, 815, telephone: (703) 292-4674, e-mail: lscadden@nsf.gov. For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact: * Victoria Smoot, Financial Operations Specialist, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development, 815, telephone: (703) 292-8640, e-mail: vsmoot@nsf.gov. IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to Programs is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter. Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on the NSF web site at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin/, and in individual program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be notified of new funding opportunities that become available. ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation. NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program announcement/solicitation for further information. The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090, FIRS at 1-800-877-8339. The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published materials, please contact us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov. PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award. Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Information Dissemination Branch, Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation (3145-0058), 725 17th Street, N.W. Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503. OMB control number: 3145-0058. NSF 01-67