February 28, 2006

April 03, 2006

1. Institutions not previously funded under the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program may submit proposals under the Phase I category:

2. Institutions previously funded under the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program may submit two types of proposals under the Phase II category: (1) Scholarship and Stipend proposals to support new cohorts of Noyce Scholars and to conduct longitudinal evaluation studies of previously funded cohorts, or (2) Monitoring and Evaluation proposals to support the continued monitoring of previously supported cohorts of students and to conduct longitudinal evaluation studies, but not to provide funding for new scholarships or stipends.

Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

The Robert Noyce Scholarship program seeks to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers. The program provides funds to institutions of higher education to support scholarships, stipends, and programs for students who commit to teaching in high need K-12 schools.

It is estimated that the nation's schools will need to hire 2.2 million teachers, including 240,000 middle and high school mathematics and science teachers, in the next decade due to projected enrollment increases, anticipated retirements, and the attrition of new teachers (National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, 2000). Furthermore, the demand for certified teachers has increased as student course-taking in high school science and mathematics has increased and as states implement the teacher quality requirements of No Child Left Behind with respect to teacher content knowledge in the assigned field of teaching (CCSSO, 2003).

Research on effective teachers has shown persistent correlations between student performance and teacher quality (Sanders and Rivers, 1996; Jordan, Mendro, and Weerasinghe, 1997). Teachers' content knowledge, particularly in science and mathematics, is an important factor in determining student achievement (Goldhaber and Brewer, 1996, National Research Council, 2000). A large percentage of science and mathematics teachers lack even a minor in their teaching field, with 56% of public secondary students receiving instruction in the physical sciences from teachers without a major or minor in the physical sciences and 27% of students receiving mathematics instruction in classes taught by teachers lacking a minor in mathematics. Although the problem of out-of-field teaching is widespread, students in high-poverty schools are 77% more likely to be taught by an out-of-field teacher than students in low poverty schools (Ingersoll, 1999, 2002). As many as 50% of new teachers in urban school districts leave the teaching profession within their first three years, further exacerbating shortages and misassignment of teachers. A survey of urban school districts conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools and Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., in 1998-99, indicated that 95% of responding urban school districts had an immediate demand for high school science and mathematics teachers. Eighty percent reported a need for middle school science and mathematics teachers (Urban Teacher Collaborative, 2000).

The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program, authorized under the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-368), responds to the critical need for K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by encouraging talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and STEM professionals to pursue teaching careers in elementary and secondary schools. The program provides funding to institutions of higher education to provide scholarships, stipends, and programmatic support for STEM majors and STEM professionals to enter and complete teacher credentialing programs. Scholarship recipients are required to complete two years of teaching in a high need school district for each year of scholarship or stipend support. The program seeks to increase the number of K-12 teachers with strong STEM content knowledge who teach in high need school districts.

The NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship program awards grants to institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965) in the United States or consortia of such institutions or nonprofit entities that have established consortia among such institutions of higher education to provide scholarships for juniors and seniors who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and stipends for STEM professionals seeking to become teachers. A goal of the program is to recruit individuals with strong STEM backgrounds who might otherwise not have considered a career in K-12 teaching. Proposals may address either the scholarship or the stipend program or both programs. Scholarship and stipend recipients should be selected on the basis of academic merit, with consideration given to financial need and the diversity of participants in the program. Institutions are expected to provide the program and support to enable scholarship and stipend recipients to obtain teacher certification or licensing and to become successful elementary or secondary teachers. This support should be based on effective, evidence-based strategies and should be available to recipients during their participation in the program and continue after their completion of the program to ease the transition into teaching and aid retention during and beyond the obligatory service period. Program activities for scholarship and stipend recipients may include serving as resources for science and mathematics instruction in K-12 classrooms. The project leadership team is expected to include STEM discipline faculty.

Scholarships for STEM Majors

Scholarship amounts must be at least $7,500 per year but no more than $10,000 per year; however, no individual may receive a scholarship for any year that exceeds the yearly cost of attendance (as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll)). Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens, must be majoring in mathematics, engineering, or a science discipline, and must be in the last 2 years of a baccalaureate degree program. It is expected that these students will complete a major in a STEM discipline. Students enrolled in institutions requiring a fifth year or post-baccalaureate program for teacher certification may apply the scholarship to the post-baccalaureate program. A recipient may receive up to two years of scholarship support. Recipients of scholarships must commit to completion of two years of service as a mathematics or science teacher for each year the scholarship is received. Service must be performed within 6 years after graduation from the program for which the scholarship was awarded and must be performed in a high need local educational agency that meets one or more of the following criteria:

1. It has at least one school in which 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for participation in the free and reduced price lunch program established by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.1751 et seq.).

2. It has at least one school in which: (i) more than 34 percent of the academic classroom teachers at the secondary level (across all academic subjects) do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes; or (ii) more than 34 percent of the teachers in two of the academic departments do not have an undergraduate degree with a major or minor in, or a graduate degree in, the academic field in which they teach the largest percentage of their classes.

3. It has at least one school whose teacher attrition rate has been 15 percent or more over the last three school years.

Stipends for STEM Professionals

Stipends of up to $10,000 are available for a maximum of one year for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) professionals who hold a baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral degree in science, mathematics, or engineering and enroll in a teacher certification program. Stipend recipients must be U.S. citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens. Recipients of stipends must commit to serving two years as a mathematics or science teacher in a high need local educational agency, as defined above, within 6 years after graduation or completion of the program for which the stipend was awarded. Current K-12 teachers seeking new certification or re-certification are not eligible to receive Noyce scholarships or stipends.

Categories of Proposals

In FY 2006, the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program provides funding for two categories of proposals:

• Phase I proposals are invited from institutions that have not previously been funded under the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program.
• Phase II proposals are invited from institutions that have previously been funded under the Robert Noyce Scholarship program and whose award expiration date occurs on or before September 30, 2006.

Phase I proposals provide scholarships for juniors and seniors who are majoring in a science discipline, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and stipends for STEM professionals seeking to become teachers. Proposals may address the scholarship component or the stipend component or both. Up to 15% of the proposed budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs associated with recruiting and preparing the teachers, providing support for the teachers as they begin teaching, and conducting monitoring and evaluation activities.

Within Phase II, two options are available: Scholarship and Stipend (S&S) Projects and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) projects. Phase II S&S Awards provide funds for prior awardees to expand and extend the evaluation efforts initiated under the original award and to support additional cohorts of scholarship and stipend recipients. Phase II proposals are expected to show evidence of the success of the previous award that warrants additional funding. These proposals must include plans for conducting longitudinal evaluation studies of students supported under the previous Noyce award as well as monitoring and evaluation of new cohorts of students. Proposals must include plans for evaluating the impact of the program on recruitment of teachers and the effectiveness of the Noyce recipients as K-12 teachers. Up to 20% of the budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs and for evaluation and research activities associated with the Phase II S&S project. The maximum total budget for Phase I and Phase II S&S proposals is $500,000 with a project duration of up to 4 years.

Phase II M&E Awards provide funding to measure project outcomes through longitudinal evaluation studies and the continued monitoring of Noyce recipients to ensure they have completed their teaching requirement. Since M &E awards do not include funds for awarding additional scholarships and stipends, indirect costs may be included in the proposal budget. The maximum total budget for proposals in this category is $150,000 with a project duration of up to 3 years.

Specific requirements for Phase I and Phase II proposals are described in Section V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions.

Institutional Responsibilities

The institution shall require that each recipient of the scholarship or stipend accepts the terms of the scholarship or stipend and agrees to provide the institution with annual certification of employment and up-to-date contact information and to participate in surveys provided by the institution of higher education as part of an evaluation program. Monitoring the compliance of scholarship and stipend recipients with respect to their service requirements will be the responsibility of the institution of higher education receiving the award. It is expected that failure to satisfy the academic requirements of the program or to complete the service requirement will result in forfeiture of the scholarship or stipend award with repayments pro-rated accordingly to reflect partial service completed. The institution is responsible for collecting the repayment amounts, including interest, in accordance with P.L. 107-368, SEC. 10 (g). All forfeited scholarship or stipend funds, less grantee administrative costs associated with collection of the repayment not to exceed 5% of the forfeited amount, will be returned to the United States Treasury. The institution is expected to establish procedures that ensure compliance with the service requirement with allowances for extreme hardship or other circumstances for which it is not in the best interests of the school district or not feasible for the scholarship/stipend recipient to fulfill the service obligation. The institution may establish procedures for waiving or suspending repayment of scholarships or stipends in cases of extreme hardship or other circumstances that would preclude the fulfillment of the service obligation.

Eligible institutions must provide evidence of exemplary teacher preparation efforts to ensure that scholarship and stipend recipients become successful science and mathematics teachers in elementary or secondary schools. Successful proposals also will provide evidence of functioning partnerships between institutions of higher education and school districts and an infrastructure that is supportive of new teachers. All projects are expected to include an evaluation plan for measuring the impact of the project and effectiveness of proposed strategies in attracting, preparing, and retaining STEM individuals in teaching careers as well as the effectiveness of the Noyce scholarship/stipend recipients as teachers. The evaluation plan should include a mechanism for tracking the scholarship/stipend recipients as they fulfill their teaching obligation and a method for collecting demographic data on these individuals. In addition to the project-specific evaluation, all projects will be expected to cooperate with an NSF third party monitoring and evaluation of program impact that will require data collection. It is expected that individual project evaluation, as well as the overall program evaluation, will contribute to the knowledge base of effective strategies for attracting and retaining effective teachers with strong STEM content knowledge.

Proposers may wish to explore the resources related to K-12 teacher education available at MSPnet, http://www.hub.mspnet.org/ , an electronic learning community for the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program. Information about current awards funded under the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program resources can be found at the Division of Undergraduate Education website:https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5733&org=DUE&from=home

References

Council of Chief State School Officers (2003). State Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education 2003. Washington, DC: Author

Goldhaber, D.D. and D.J. Brewer (1997). Evaluating the Effect of Teacher Degree Level on Educational Performance. In W.J. Fowler (ed.), Developments in School Finance, 1996. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics

Ingersoll, R.M. (1999). The Problem of Underqualified Teachers in American Secondary Schools. Educational Researcher, 28(2): 26-37.

Ingersoll, R.M. (2002). Out-of-field Teaching: Educational Inequality and the Organization of Schools: An Exploratory Analysis. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy

Jordan, H., R. Mendro, & D. Weerasinghe. (1997). Teacher Effects on Longitudinal Student Achievement.

National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (2000). Before It's Too Late. Jessup, MD: Education Publications Center.

National Research Council (2001). Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium (Committee on Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Sanders, W.L. and J. C. Rivers, (1966). Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers on Future Academic Achievement. Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Value-Added Research and Assessment Center.

Urban Teacher Collaborative (2000). The Urban Teacher Challenge: Teacher Demand in the Great City Schools. Washington, D.C: Council of the Great City Schools.

Institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965) in the United States or consortia of such institutions or nonprofit entities that have established consortia among such institutions of higher education may submit proposals. An institution, on its own or as a member of a consortium, may submit no more than one proposal per competition.

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. The anticipated funding amount in FY 2006 is $7 million.

Phase I Awards

Depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds, NSF expects to fund approximately 10 -12 awards of up to $500,000 for a total award amount and duration of 3 to 4 years. Up to 15% of the proposed budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs, including monitoring and evaluation as detailed in Section II "Program Description" above.

Phase II Awards

Depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds, NSF expects to fund approximately 3 - 6 Phase II awards. Phase II S&S proposals may request up to $500,000 for a total award amount and duration of 3 to 4 years. Up to 20% of the proposed budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs, including monitoring and evaluation as detailed in Section II "Program Description" above. Phase II M&E Proposals may request up to $150,000 in total budget for a duration of 3 years. Indirect costs may be charged in Phase II M&E proposals.

Letters of Intent:

A Letter of Intent is optional, but encouraged, before submitting a full proposal. The Letter of Intent is not a preliminary proposal. It is intended to enhance the efficiency of the review process. Letters of Intent should be electronically submitted through FastLane by February 28, 2006. The Letter of Intent should indicate the category of proposal (Phase I, Phase II S&S, or Phase II M&E). It should include a brief synopsis of the project, indicating the grade level (elementary, middle, or high school) and discipline focus of the project. Additional institutions and school districts should be listed in the Participating Organizations section of the FastLane Letter of Intent.

The following instructions supplement the GPG guidelines.

Project Summary

The one-page Project Summary should indicate the specific category of proposal (Phase I, Phase II S&S, or Phase II M&E) and name all institutions, including school districts, that are involved in the proposal. Proposers are reminded that the Project Summary must explicitly address, in separately labeled statements, both NSB-approved merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Proposals failing to explicitly address Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in the Project Summary will be returned without review.

Project Description

Phase I Proposals must include the following elements in the Project Description section:

• Results from Prior NSF Support: Address prior support relevant to the proposed project.
• A description of the proposed scholarship or stipend program, including the number and size of scholarships and stipends, academic requirements, and projected cumulative number of new teachers to be produced over the duration of the program, including a comparison to number of teachers currently produced by the proposing institution(s);
• A description of the teacher preparation program in which the Noyce scholarship or stipend recipients will be enrolled. The proposal must include evidence of exemplary teacher preparation efforts to ensure that scholarship and stipend recipients become successful science and mathematics teachers in elementary and secondary schools;
• A description of recruitment activities designed to attract a large and diverse pool of applicants;
• A description of the selection process that will ensure the most qualified applicants are selected based on academic merit, with consideration given to financial need and increasing participation of minorities, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented genders relative to specific teaching areas;
• A description of the management and administrative structure and capability to administer the scholarship or stipend program;
• Evidence of an infrastructure that is supportive of new teachers. Include a description of the activities and support mechanisms that will be available to recipients to ensure they are able and willing to fulfill their commitment to teaching;
• Evidence of functioning partnerships between institutions of higher education and school districts;
• A description of plans to monitor and enforce compliance with the required teaching commitment;
• Evidence that the institution is committed to making the program a central institutional focus; and
• An evaluation plan that will provide information on the effectiveness of the project in attracting, preparing, and retaining STEM individuals in teaching careers and should include methodologies for measuring the effectiveness of the Noyce scholarship/stipend recipients as teachers. The evaluation plan should include a mechanism for tracking the scholarship/stipend recipients during the period in which they are fulfilling their service obligation and a plan for collecting demographic data and statistics on scholarship and stipend recipients.

Phase II Scholarship and Stipend (S&S) Proposals should include the following:

• Results from Prior NSF Support: Describe the outcomes of prior support under the previous Robert Noyce Scholarship grant to include the number of students supported through scholarships and/or stipends with major field of study and level of teaching, and the number who have begun the teaching requirement in a high need school district. The success of the project in increasing the number of STEM majors or STEM professionals who enter the teaching workforce should be a particular focus of this discussion. The proposal should explain how the results of the prior work and evaluation findings have informed the proposed work.
• A description of the proposed scholarship or stipend program, including the number and size of scholarships and stipends, academic requirements, and projected cumulative number of new teachers to be produced over the duration of the program, including a comparison to number of teachers currently produced by the proposing institution(s);
• A description of the teacher preparation program in which the Noyce scholarship or stipend recipients will be enrolled. The proposal must include evidence of exemplary teacher preparation efforts to ensure that scholarship and stipend recipients become successful science and mathematics teachers in elementary and secondary schools;
• A description of recruitment activities designed to attract a large and diverse pool of applicants;
• A description of the selection process that will ensure the most qualified applicants are selected based on academic merit, with consideration given to financial need and increasing participation of minorities, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented genders relative to specific teaching areas;
• A description of the management and administrative structure and capability to administer the scholarship or stipend program;
• Evidence of an infrastructure that is supportive of new teachers. Include a description of the activities and support mechanisms that will be available to recipients to ensure they are able and willing to fulfill their commitment to teaching;
• Evidence of functioning partnerships between institutions of higher education and school districts;
• A description of plans to monitor and enforce compliance with the required teaching commitment;
• Evidence that the institution is committed to making the program a central institutional focus;
• Discussion of how the proposed project builds on the prior support beyond simply continuing the work.
• Discussion of plans to sustain activities and impact of the project beyond Phase II support.
• Evidence that the institution has made the program a central institutional focus.
• Evidence of the impact of the Noyce Scholarship project on STEM departments.
• Details of a plan to expand and extend the evaluation activities initiated under the original award. Evaluation studies should include longitudinal studies to measure the impact of the project on students supported under the first award in terms of their performance as teachers, their completion of the teaching requirement, and their retention in the teaching profession. In addition, plans for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the project on new cohorts should be included. The evaluation plan should address recruitment, preparation, and retention of the Noyce Scholars and should lead to results that will inform the community of what works and why. This study should go beyond the required tracking of recipients to include indicators of the effectiveness of the program in attracting STEM majors into teaching, the impact of the program on departments and the institution, and the effectiveness of the Noyce Scholars as measured by their performance in the classroom and their impact on student learning. The proposal should include plans to disseminate the findings of this study through peer reviewed publications and national conferences.

Phase II Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Proposals should include the following elements in the Project Description section:

• Results from Prior NSF Support: Describe the outcomes of prior support under the previous Robert Noyce Scholarship grant, including the number of students supported through scholarships and/or stipends with major field of study and level of teaching, and the number who have begun the teaching requirement in a high need school district. The success of the project in increasing the number of STEM majors or STEM professionals who enter the teaching workforce should be a particular focus of this discussion. The proposal should provide results of the evaluation activities.

• Details of a plan to expand and extend the evaluation activities initiated under the original award. Evaluation studies should include longitudinal studies to measure the impact of the project on students supported under the first award in terms of their performance as teachers, their completion of the teaching requirement, and their retention in the teaching profession. The evaluation plan should address recruitment, preparation, and retention of the Noyce Scholars and should lead to results that will inform the community of what works and why. This study should go beyond the required tracking of recipients to include indicators of the effectiveness of the program in attracting STEM majors into teaching, the impact of the program on departments and the institution, and the effectiveness of the Noyce Scholars as measured by their performance in the classroom and their impact on student learning. The proposal should include plans to disseminate the findings of this study through peer reviewed publications and national conferences.

Additional Requirements for Phase I and Phase II Proposals

The PI and Co-PI leadership must include at least one faculty member from a STEM discipline. Letters of support from the Dean of Arts & Sciences, Dean of Education, and school district Superintendent(s) or comparable administrators should be submitted as evidence of institutional support for the proposal. Letters should be uploaded into the Supplementary Documentation section in FastLane.

A Project Data Form must be submitted (via FastLane) as part of all proposals. The information on this form is used to direct proposals to appropriate reviewers and to determine the characteristics of projects supported by the Division of Undergraduate Education. In FastLane, this form will show up in the list of forms for your proposal only after you have (1) selected the "Noyce" program solicitation number on the Cover Sheet and (2) saved the Cover Sheet.

No indirect costs are allowed for Phase I and Phase II Scholarship and Stipend projects. Indirect costs are allowed for Phase II Monitoring and Evaluation projects.

Phase I proposals: Up to 15% of the proposed budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs, including monitoring and evaluation, as detailed in Section II "Program Description" above.

Phase II S&S proposals: Up to 20% of the proposed budget may be allocated for administrative and program costs, including monitoring and evaluation, as detailed in Section II "Program Description" above.

February 28, 2006

April 03, 2006