1. HI-TEC Conference Session, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Help with Securing Your First, or Next, ATE Grant: The NSF ATE Program, Mentor-Connect, and Moving-On-Up!
HI-TEC Conference Session, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Thursday, July 20
Grand America Hotel
Salt Lake City, Utah

2. Welcome! Elaine Craft, Principal Investigator
Florence-Darlington Technical College, Florence, SC
Dr. V. Celeste Carter, National Science Foundation, Program Officer &
Co-Lead, Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program

3. Welcome to NSF V. Celeste Carter Division of Undergraduate Education
National Science Foundation

4. EHR Division of Graduate Education (DGE)
Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Human Resource Development (HRD)
Undergraduate Education (DUE)
EHR

5. ATE
The education of highly qualified science and engineering technicians for advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.
Community colleges have leadership roles on all projects.
Grades 7-12, 2yr- and 4-yr institutions can be supported. (Pathways)
Partnerships with Industry and Economic Development Entities –Hiring needs

6. ATE Program Three Program Tracks ATE Projects
Targeted Research in Technician Education
Up to $600k, up to 3 yrs
except
Small/New to ATE:
Up to $225k
ATE Centers
From $150k, up to 2 yrs to $800k, up to 3 yrs
Two Types
Center
Resource Centers
Up to $5M
5 yrs
Up to $600k
3 yrs
Deadlines (All Tracks):
5 October 2017

7. ATE Projects Projects (up to $200,000 /yr., 3yrs.)
Program Development, Implementation and Improvement;
Professional Development for Educators;
Curriculum and Educational Materials Development;
Teacher Preparation;
Small Grants for Institutions New to the ATE Program ($225K, 3-yrs);
Adaptation and Implementation (A&I);
Instrumentation with Curriculum Updates;
ATE-Coordination Networks (up to $200,000/yr., 4 yr.)

8. ATE Program Funding Rate Varies
($ available, # proposals, type, quality)

9. Advice from Program Officers
Read the solicitation
Choose right program track
Start early
Get help – avoid errors
Program Officers
Mentor-Connect
Project/Center PIs
Be alert for changes
(read the new solicitation )

10. 2017 NSF ATE Solicitation NSF 17-568:
3-year solicitation with submission deadline of Oct. 5 of this year (2017).
Changes:
The funding duration and size of awards for the Centers track has been changed. For Center areas see and solicitation.
The maximum budget for projects has been changed. Budgets range from $225,000 to $600,000 total maximum budget.
Additional project focus areas in Adaptation and Implementation (A&I) and Instrumentation Acquisition have been added.
Eligibility requirements for Small, New to ATE has been changed to allow institutions that have not received and ATE award in the past 7 years to apply.
Developers are encouraged to use an open learning approach for any new learning materials and computer software developed.
Proposals submitted need to be in compliance with both the ATE solicitation and the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 17-1)

11. Mentor-Connect: Vision
A regenerative mentoring system that assists technician and related STEM educators in
Benefiting from & Contributing to
The ATE Program

12. Mentor-Connect: Purpose
 Strengthen technician education to meet STEM workforce needs
 Develop STEM faculty leadership in technician education

13. Why Mentor-Connect? Mentoring: effective, just-in-time help
Previously, 2/3 of community colleges, no NSF $

14. Who is Eligible? Eligible Institutions and Faculty
Two-year technical or community colleges that have not received NSF ATE grant funding in the past 7 years
STEM faculty who prepare technicians for the American workforce
Especially encouraged to participate:
Rural colleges
Faculty from populations underrepresented in STEM

15. Participants & Outcomes
5 Cohorts: 101 College teams
31 States
202 Faculty
111 Administrators & Grant Writers
25 Mentors (10/cohort)
Proposal submissions: /20 per cohort (86%)
NSF awards: 52 to-date; 63% small grant success
65% of applicants to M-C accepted into cohort
94% colleges re-applying to M-C were selected

16. Mentor-Connect Assistance
Webinars
Workshops
Mentoring
Resources and Just-in-time help
Leadership Development

17. Mentoring Structure 20 college teams selected each year (October)
Comprised of 2 faculty and optional administrator (s)
10-month duration
2 in-person workshops (winter, summer)
Expectation to submit a small, new to ATE grant proposal to NSF ATE

18. Upcoming Webinars
NSF ATE Program Funding Opportunities & Mentor- Connect Orientation September 13, 2016 (1:00-2:30 p.m. EST) REGISTER NOW: Technical Assistance Webinars on Proposal Development Spring 2018

19. Leadership Development
Skills learned while developing proposal
Skills learned through project implementation
Skills inventory self-assessment tools
Professional Development opportunities – ambassadors and spokespersons for Mentor-Connect & ATE
Moving-On-Up opportunities with ATE and beyond!

20. Mentor-Connect Assistance Moving-On-Up!
Solid results from 1st grant
Leverage grant-writing knowledge
Build on what you have done & learned
Choose the right funding track
Focus more on Broader Impacts, e.g.,
What you will test and learn
Broader sharing: outcomes, models,
lessons learned
Larger scope of work
More partners & people involved

21. Q & A Session

22. Connect with Mentor-Connect
ATEMentorConnect
@Mentor_Connect

23. Mentor-Connect@fdtc.edu Leadership Development and Outreach for ATE
NSF DUE # &
Elaine Craft, Principal Investigator
Charlotte Forrest, Co-PI & Project Manager
Ellen Hause (AACC), Co-PI & Dennis Faber (CC Baltimore County-retired), Co-PI
SC ATE Center of Excellence
Florence-Darlington Technical College
Florence, SC