Opportunities

With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects be faculty driven and that courses and programs are credit bearing although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.

The ATE program encourages partnerships with other entities that may impact technician education. For example, with

the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) http://www.nist.gov/mep/index.cfm as applicable to support technician education programs and the industries they serve;

Manufacturing USA Institutes https://manufacturing.gov/nnmi-institutes/ and Investing in Manufacturing Communities of Practice (IMCPs) https://www.eda.gov/imcp/ addressing workforce development issues (also see DCL NSF 16-007); and

NSF Industry & University Cooperative Research Program (I/UCRC) awardees. https://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/.

The ATE program encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions and other institutions that support the recruitment, retention, and completion of students underrepresented in STEM in technician education programs that award associate degrees. NSF is particularly interested in proposals from all types of Minority Serving Institutions (including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) where the proportion of underrepresented students interested in advanced technology careers is growing.

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time): October 04, 2018

View the full solicitation: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17568/nsf17568.htm