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Dear Colleague Letter

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Supplemental Funding for the NSF Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier: Core Research Program

Dear Colleague:

The NSF Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier: Core Research Program (FW-HTF) announces that it will now participate in the support of supplements in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science programs. We invite grantees with active FW-HTF awards who wish to support undergraduate or K-12 teacher researchers to contribute to a grantee's project, to submit supplemental funding requests. Supplemental funding requests will be considered as they are received, and will be reviewed in accordance with NSF's standard merit review criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. To be eligible for consideration of funding in FY 2021, FW-HTF strongly encourages the submission of requests before April 30, 2021.

Please note the following conditions specific to the FW-HTF program:

  • REU and RET supplemental funding requests should be submitted to managing divisions at least two months before the desired start of the proposed activity.
  • FW-HTF provides support for one REU student per active award in an amount up to $8,000. Additional funding may be available for a second student.
  • REU projects offer an opportunity to tap the nation's diverse student talent pool and broaden participation in science and engineering. REU projects are strongly encouraged to involve students who are members of underrepresented groups as well as veteran and first-generation college students.
  • RET supplements are limited to a maximum of $10,000 per teacher.
  • FW-HTF program does not accept or fund proposals for REU or RET sites.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

PIs are encouraged to refer to the REU program solicitation (NSF 19-582) and the RET program solicitation (NSF 20-584), as well as Chapter VI.E.4 of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for detailed information concerning submission requirements. As described above and in those solicitations, each REU or RET supplemental funding request should include the following information:
  1. A description of the research to be performed by the student or K-12 teacher, and how the student or teacher, as well as the project as a whole, will benefit from the overall REU or RET experience;
  2. The PI's prior experience, if any, supervising REU students or working with K-12 teachers, including papers published and student placements, along with the status of prior REU or RET supplements received on the corresponding award (within last 4 years, and if none, prior to that - just a paragraph. No need to list the students);
  3. Proposed undergraduate research tasks or project that will be done. Ground the REU or RET project with citations to the research literature in the field(s) and specifically within the context of the project as a whole. This description with citations is expected to serve not only for the supplemental funding request, but also to begin orienting participants in the research itself. The research tasks need to be intellectually substantial, involving the student(s) or teacher in research concepts and principles. The tasks cannot be just data collection or data entry tasks. Explain how and why these tasks will be educational and useful to the overall project as well;
  4. The relationship of the REU or RET supplemental funding request to the original award;
  5. Explain plans to broaden participation by raising awareness of REU opportunities amongst underrepresented groups (such as underrepresented minority groups, students with disabilities, and women). REU students must be US citizens or permanent residents and you must mention this requirement in your supplement request. If you have selected the student(s) already, attach their resume.
  6. Mentoring and support to be provided. If there is to be remote work, describe how you will supervise the participant(s) and how the work will get done. Include information about challenges of COVID and how you will mitigate these challenges, such as through virtual mentoring and regularly scheduled virtual meetings;
  7. Stipend details – All costs should be entered as Participant Support Costs (Line F) of the budget. Identify the total number of participants (1 or 2) on Line F. No equipment/software can be included unless absolutely essential for the participant's specific task. If travel is included, a strong justification is required – if conference travel is budgeted, the name and dates of the conference should be identified clearly along with the estimate of the costs of travel to the venue plus attendance costs.
  8. Budget justification page with the details in (7) above.

No particular format is required for presenting the above information, but numbered sections that address items 1 through 6 in the Summary of Proposed Work section are preferred, with item 7 addressed in the Budget Justification.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the cognizant NSF program officer who oversees your active award.

Sincerely,

Dawn Tilbury
Assistant Director
Directorate for Engineering

Arthur Lupia
Assistant Director
Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences

Margaret Martonosi
Assistant Director
Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering

Karen A. Marrongelle
Assistant Director
Directorate for Education & Human Resources

C. Suzanne Iacono
Office Head
Office of Integrative Activities

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