Research
and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering (REESE)
Dear Colleague:
On behalf of the Division of Graduate Education (DGE) in the Directorate
for Education and Human Resources (EHR) we call your attention
to an opportunity to request support for research and evaluation
projects focused on graduate education. This opportunity is embedded
in a program titled Research and Evaluation on Education in Science
and Engineering (REESE) managed by the Division of Research, Evaluation,
and Communication (REC) in EHR. The REESE Program Solicitation
(NSF 06-609) can be viewed at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06609/nsf06609.htm
DGE seeks proposals that have the potential to strengthen graduate
education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM). As examples, we encourage proposals that can contribute
to our knowledge about how to successfully broaden participation
in graduate-level education programs and proposals that investigate
new trends and challenges in graduate STEM education. Successful
proposals will demonstrate expertise in both the disciplines being
studied and research methodology. In principle this can be achieved
by selecting a team of co-PIs that bridge knowledge of STEM disciplines
with expertise in education research or social science research
methods.
We seek to build a research community that can more effectively
address current issues, trends and questions in STEM graduate education,
such as:
- How to increase participation by able students in STEM graduate
education;
- Efforts to improve the retention and graduation rates of STEM
graduate students;
- The impact of increased mentoring on the success of graduate
students;
- Emerging STEM research fields, particularly cross-disciplinary
ones;
- Changes in skills expected for STEM professionals and how these
are communicated to graduate programs;
- The effects on graduate education of growing international
cooperation in research and education;
- Uses of new technologies (including new cyber infrastructure
developments) in both education and research;
- The speed of diffusion of new methods of graduate education,
or the diffusion of new programs in emerging STEM disciplines;
and
- Advancing the understanding of the causes and effects of progress
in and barriers to broadening participation in STEM graduate
education.
The following NSF-supported projects are representative of the
current education research portfolio in graduate STEM education:
Robert Tai ( University of Virginia), Project Crossover: A Study
of Transition from Student to Scientist, NSF award 0440002. This
is a study of the training of new scientists with a focus on the
maturation and growing independence of graduate students during
their years in graduate school. See: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0440002
Rachel Scherr ( University of Maryland), Developing Conceptual
and Teaching Expertise in Physics Graduate Students: An Integrated
Approach, NSF award 0529482. Little research on TA training has
focused on the specific nature of the challenges. This project
details the expectations, attitudes, and epistemologies of graduate
teaching assistants towards educational reform. It is developing
a learning environment to test whether they can effectively learn
how to become more effective teachers. See: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0529482
Connie L. McNeely, Jong-on Hahm, David H. Kamens ( George Mason
University), Institutional Diffusion and Organizational Impacts
on STEM Women in Higher Education, NSF award 0633950. This
study will investigate the institutional diffusion of policies
and practices aimed at increasing the number or women in the various
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields
in U.S. universities. While the study builds upon previous efforts
directed at individual and career level outcomes, this study will
examine institutional level changes and effects relative to gender
diversity in graduate education and the STEM professoriate. See: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0633950
We encourage both synthesis projects (e.g., workshops, exploratory
research, planning and design projects) for durations of one to
three years not to exceed $200,000 and larger empirical projects
for durations of three to five years with project budgets up to
$1 million. The synthesis projects will permit investigators to
develop rigorous research designs, techniques, and methods and
to forge partnerships with researchers representing appropriate
disciplines and areas of expertise. Proposers should review the
REESE Program Solicitation to ensure that eligibility requirements
are met.
Investigators are encouraged to contact DGE program officers to
discuss graduate topics of interest, and REESE program officers
listed in the REESE Program Solicitation to discuss research approaches
and requirements of the REESE program.
DGE Program Officers:
REC/REESE Program Officers:
- John Cherniavsky: (703) 292-5136, jchernia@nsf.gov
- Gabriel Della-Piana: (703) 292-5141, gdellapi@nsf.gov
- James Dietz: (703) 292-5156, jdietz@nsf.gov
- Janice Earle, (703) 292-5097, jearle@nsf.gov
- Elmima C. Johnson: (703) 292-5137, ejohnson@nsf.gov
- Anthony E. Kelly: (703) 292-8465, akelly@nsf.gov
- Gregg Solomon: (703) 292-8333, gesolomo@nsf.gov
- Larry E. Suter: (703) 292-5144, lsuter@nsf.gov
- Elizabeth VanderPutten: (703) 292-5147, evanderp@nsf.gov
We look forward to reviewing innovative and competitive proposals.
Sincerely,
Myles Boylan, Acting Director
Division of Graduate Education
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