Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program

This program provides awards to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as a means to broaden participation in the Nation's STEM workforce. Support is available for Implementation Projects (including Achieving Competitive Excellence), Education Research Projects, Targeted Infusion Projects, and Planning Grants.Implementation Projects provide support to implement a comprehensive institutional project to strengthen STEM education and research. Proposed activities and strategies should: be the result of an institutional STEM self-analysis; address institutional and NSF goals; and have the potential to result in significant and sustainable improvements in STEM program offerings. Typical project implementation strategies include: curriculum enhancement, faculty professional development, undergraduate research, academic enrichment, student support services, infusion of technology to enhance STEM instruction, collaborations with research institutions and industry, and other activities that enhance the quality of the undergraduate STEM education and STEM teacher preparation programs. Proposers are encouraged to analyze the strengths of the institution and design innovative educational strategies, based on proven best practices, to place the institution at the forefront of undergraduate STEM education. The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) or ACE Implementation Projects track is intended for HBCUs pursuing additional rounds of funding, and it seeks ambitious, transformative, far-reaching proposals that promise paradigm-shifting advances in STEM undergraduate education at the institution.Education Research Projects (ERP) provide support to undertake a three-year education research project that has the potential to strengthen the STEM education and research programs at HBCUs. Education Research Projects must be based on sound education research methodologies and theories. Potential education research topics include: retention, diffusion of innovations, curricular enhancements, technology in education, STEM teacher education, and the identification of successful models. HBCUs do not need to have an Implementation Project in order to submit ERP proposals.Targeted Infusion Projects (TIP) provide support to achieve a short-term, well-defined goal to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education. Typically, projects are focused on one activity within a single STEM department however interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary projects are encouraged. Potential goals include: specialized accreditation or certifications, establishing new programs or concentrations, establishing collaborations between STEM disciplines and teacher education programs, and updating programs to reflect advances in the field and workforce requirements. HBCUs do not need to have an Implementation Project in order to submit a TIP proposal.Planning Grants provide support to undertake self-analysis of the institution's undergraduate STEM programs to identify components that need improvement or enhancement in order to provide a high quality undergraduate STEM education. Planning grants should also research existing activities and strategies that could be implemented in a proposed project to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education at the institution. Typical activities include: data collection and analysis, stakeholder consultation, research of potential activities and strategies, site visits to model programs, and writing a proposal for Implementation Projects (including ACE).Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) projects enable faculty, administrators and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. For Fiscal Year 2009, proposals are being solicited in nine EHR programs that advance I3 goals: CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP.