Opportunities

Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers  (ITEST) Program Synopsis:

As the nation continues to expand the horizon of opportunities and possibilities through advances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the need for a more diverse and well-prepared STEM workforce is also expanding¹. The challenge of preparing citizens for the expanding workforce and the changing workplace environments calls for new innovations in STEM education². ITEST is a research and development program that supports projects to promote PreK-12 student interests and capacities to participate in the STEM and information and communications technology (ICT) workforce of the future. The ITEST program supports research on the design, development, implementation, and selective spread of innovative strategies for engaging students in technology-rich experiences that:

(1) increase student awareness of STEM occupations;

(2) motivate students to pursue appropriate education pathways to STEM occupations; or

(3) develop disciplinary-based knowledge and practices, or promote critical thinking, reasoning skills, or communication skills needed for entering STEM workforce sectors.

ITEST projects may adopt an interdisciplinary focus that includes multiple STEM disciplines, focus on a single discipline, or focus on one or more sub-disciplines. The ITEST program supports projects that provide evidence for factors, instructional designs, and practices in formal and informal learning environments that broaden participation of students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields and related education and workforce domains. Projects that actively engage business and industry partners to better ensure that PreK-12 experiences foster the knowledge and skill-sets needed for emerging STEM occupations are strongly encouraged.

View the full solicitation: 

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17565/nsf17565.htm 

Full Proposal Deadline Date: August 8, 2018

In addition to our ITEST Proposal Development resources, the STELAR Center is pleased to offer our ITEST Proposal Development Course, a self-paced, free, and open to the public online course in which novice NSF proposal writers will develop a full NSF proposal for the ITEST program, to be submitted for the August 8, 2018 solicitation deadline. The course covers the critical components of developing a successful NSF ITEST proposal including; forming partnerships, writing a compelling narrative, developing research and evaluation designs that are well-aligned and impactful, planning for fruitful dissemination, preparing a budget, and finally, submitting the proposal to NSF.

Read more about the course and register to participate:  https://mailchi.mp/edc.org/invitation-itest-proposal-course-2

¹National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Developing a National STEM Workforce Strategy: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.;

²National Research Council. (2012). Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills, J.W. Pellegrino and M.L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.