1. National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
Proposal Writing Webinar
January 2014

2. Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
Initiated by Act of Congress in 2002
Reauthorized in 2007 (America COMPETES Act) and in 2010 under America COMPETES Reauthorization of Act of 2010
To encourage talented mathematics, science, and engineering undergraduates to pursue teaching careers
To encourage STEM professionals to become teachers
To prepare Master Teachers

3. 2014 Noyce Scholarship Program (NSF 14-508)
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Track
Scholarships for undergraduate STEM majors preparing to become K12 Teachers
Internships for freshmen and sophomores
Stipends for STEM professionals seeking to become K12 teachers
NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships (TF/MTF) Track
Fellowships for STEM professionals receiving teacher certification through a master’s degree program
Fellowships for science and math teachers preparing to become Master Teachers

4. 2014 Noyce Scholarship Program (NSF 14-508)
Capacity Building Track
To establish the infrastructure and partnerships for implementing a future Noyce Teacher Scholarship or NSF Teaching Fellowship (TF/MTF) project:
Development of new teacher preparation programs for STEM majors and STEM professionals
Development of new programs for developing Master STEM Teachers
To synthesize and disseminate effective practices developed by the Noyce community

5. Noyce Scholarship Program Eligibility
Proposals may only be submitted by:
U.S. Universities & 2- or 4-year colleges (including community colleges)
Nonprofit entities that have established consortia among such IHEs
Principal Investigators:
The PI, or at least one Co-PI, must be a faculty member in a STEM department.

6. Noyce Scholarship Program: Scholarship Track
To recruit undergraduate STEM majors and STEM career changers who might otherwise not have considered a career in K-12 teaching:
Summer internships for freshmen and sophomores to interest students in STEM teaching
Undergraduate Scholarships of at least $10,000 per year for up to three years beginning in junior year
Undergraduate students graduate with a degree in a STEM discipline and teacher certification and/or licensing.
One-year stipends of at least $10,000 for STEM professionals (career-changers) and post-baccalaureate students to obtain teacher certification

7. Noyce Scholarship Program: Scholarship Track
Scholarship and stipend capped by cost of attendance
Recipients commit to teaching in a high need school district for 2 years for each year of scholarship/stipend support.
Recipients failing to meet service requirement must repay scholarship

8. Noyce Scholarship Program: Scholarship Track
Phase I: New awardees or new project with different focus
Phase II: For previously funded awardees -
Scholarships & Stipends: To expand and extend evaluation efforts begun under previous award and support additional cohorts of scholarship and stipend recipients
Monitoring and evaluation: To expand and extend evaluation efforts of previous project without support for additional cohorts.

9. Noyce Scholarship Program
Projects include:
STEM faculty collaborating with Education faculty
Strong partnership with school district
Recruitment and selection strategies
Exemplary teacher preparation programs leading to certification and/or professional development programs for Master Teaching Fellows)
Support for new teachers
Mechanism for monitoring recipients
Institutional support
Evaluation

10. Noyce Scholarship Program: Scholarship Track
Phase I:
Scholarships, Stipends, Internships
Award size up to $1,200,000
Additional $250,000 for collaboration with two-year colleges
Duration up to 5 years
Administrative/programmatic costs may not exceed 25% of total direct costs
75% of total direct costs must directly support participants
Must use fully negotiated rate for indirect costs
No cost sharing

11. Noyce Scholarship Program: Scholarship Track
Phase II:
Scholarships and Stipends plus longitudinal evaluation studies of previously supported cohorts of students
Award size up to $800,000; up to 5 yrs.
Up to 25% of direct costs for admin./programmatic costs)
75% of direct costs for direct support to participants
No cost sharing
Monitoring and Evaluation
Award size up to $300,000; up to 3 yrs.

12. NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships Track (TF/MTF)
STEM professionals enroll in a master’s degree program leading to teacher certification or licensing
Receive one-year stipend of at least $10,000 while enrolled in the Master’s degree program
Selection of Fellows based on professional achievement, academic merit, and demonstration of advanced content knowledge in STEM
Commit to teach for 4 years in a high need school district
Receive annual salary supplement of at least $10,000 while fulfilling four-year teaching commitment

13. NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships Track (TF/MTF)
NSF Master Teaching Fellows:
Fellowships for math and science teachers preparing to become Master Teachers
Selection of Fellows based on professional achievement, academic merit, demonstration of advanced content knowledge in STEM, demonstrated success in improving student achievement
Must have Master’s degree
Commit to teach for 5 years in a high need school district
Receive annual salary supplement of at least $10,000 for 5 years plus professional development while fulfilling the teaching commitment

14. TF/MTF Proposals Must Include:
A department within an IHE that provides an advanced program of study in math and science,
A department or entity within an IHE that provides teacher preparation or a 2-year institution that offers a teacher preparation program or a dual enrollment or an articulation agreement with an IHE that credentials teachers,
At least one high need school district and public school(s) within this district, and
At least one nonprofit organization with the capacity and expertise to support the goals of the project.

15. NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships Track (TF/MTF)
Phase I: new awardees or new projects with different focus
Phase II: For previously funded awardees:
Fellowships: To expand and extend evaluation efforts begun under previous award and support additional cohorts of Fellows
Monitoring and evaluation: To expand and extend evaluation efforts of previous project without support for additional cohorts.)

16. NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships Track (TF/MTF)
Award size up to $3 million over 5-6 years
Additional $250,000 for collaboration with two-year colleges
Matching funds required:
30% of total budget for request less than $1.5 million, excluding two-year college incentive
50% of total budget if request is $1.5 million or more, excluding two-year college incentive
At least 50% of cost share must be cash
At least 75% of total direct costs must be for direct support to participants (stipends, salary supplements, professional development)

17. NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships Track Phase II
Award size up to $1.8 million up to 5 years
At least 75% of total direct costs must be for direct support to participants (stipends, salary supplements, professional development)
Matching funds required:
30% of total budget for request less than $1.5 million, excluding two-year college incentive
50% of total budget if request is $1.5 million or more, excluding two-year college incentive
At least 50% of cost share must be cash
Monitoring and Evaluation:
Award size up to $300,000 up to 3 years
No cost sharing
Duplicate of 16?

18. Noyce Scholarship Program: Capacity Building Track
Award size up to $300,000; up to 2 yrs.
May include an additional $50,000 over 2 years for collaborations between two-year and four-year institutions.
No restriction on budget allocation (within standard NSF policies)
No cost sharing

19. Preparing the Proposal

20. Preparing the Proposal
Consult the Program Solicitation (NSF )
Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 14-1)

21. Project Summary Three text boxes: Overview
Statement on Intellectual Merit
Statement on Broader Impacts
Proposals with special characters may upload Project Summary as a PDF document
Text boxes must be filled out or a project summary must be uploaded or FastLane will not accept the proposal.

22. Project Description: Phase I Scholarship Track
Results from relevant prior NSF support (address intellectual merit and broader impact)
Discuss the Broader Impacts of the proposed activities
Describe:
proposed scholarship or stipend program
teacher preparation program
recruitment and marketing activities
selection process
management & administrative structure for administering scholarship or stipend program
plans to monitor & enforce compliance with the required teaching commitment

23. Project Description: Phase I Scholarship Track
Provide evidence of:
infrastructure to support new teachers,
collaboration between STEM & education faculty,
a functioning partnership between the IHE(s) & school districts,
a commitment to making the program a central institutional focus
Include an objective evaluation plan

24. Project Description: Phase II S&S
Similar to Phase I, with addition of:
Results from prior Noyce scholarship grant
Discussion of how new project builds on & expands activities established under prior support
Plans to sustain activities after end of Phase II funding
Provide evidence of
how the institution has made the program a central institutional focus
impact of Noyce scholarship program on STEM departments
Details of plan to expand & extend evaluation activities
MSP Fall 2003

25. AAAS Noyce Workshops 2010 - Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
NSF Review Criteria
NSF Merit Review Criteria:
Intellectual Merit: Encompasses the potential to advance knowledge
Broader Impacts: Encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes
Additional Noyce Program specific review criteria, dependent on proposal type

26. Review Criteria: Phase I Scholarship Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: Phase I Scholarship Proposals
Capacity and ability of institution to effectively conduct the program
Number and quality of students that will be served by the program
Justification for number of students and amount of stipend & scholarship support
Ability of the program to recruit STEM majors who would not otherwise pursue a teaching career
Quality and feasibility of recruitment & marketing strategies
Quality of the preservice educational program

27. Review Criteria: Phase I Scholarship Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: Phase I Scholarship Proposals
Extent to which STEM & education faculty are collaborating in developing & implementing the program
Quality of the preservice student support and new teacher support infrastructure
Extent to which the proposed strategies reflect effective practices based on research
Degree to which the proposed programming will enable scholarship or stipend recipients to become successful mathematics & science teachers
Feasibility & completeness of an evaluation plan that will measure the effectiveness of the proposed strategies
Institutional support for the program and the extent to which the institution is committed to making the program a central organizational focus
Dissemination plans

28. Review Criteria: Phase II S&S
Evidence that previously funded project was consistent with the Phase I criteria
Evidence of institution and school district support for continuing the project
Demonstrated success of the previously funded project in terms of recruitment of STEM majors and/or STEM professionals into K-12 teaching & preparation to become effective teachers
Evidence that the project has recruited STEM majors who would not otherwise pursue a career in teaching
Evidence that a high quality new teacher structure is in place
MSP Fall 2003

29. Review Criteria: Phase II S&S
Plans for advancing the work beyond the original project
Plans for conducting a longitudinal evaluation study of previous cohorts of Noyce Scholarship and/or stipend recipients as well as evaluation and monitoring of new cohorts to address teacher and student outcome
Evaluation plans that build on & strengthen the previous evaluation effort
Plans for disseminating results of the evaluation studies
Plans for sustainability
MSP Fall 2003

30. Review Criteria: Phase II M&E
Evidence that the previously funded project was consistent with the Phase I criteria
Plans for conducting a longitudinal evaluation study of previous cohorts of Noyce Scholarship and/or stipend recipients focusing on their effectiveness as teachers, their completion of the teaching requirement, and their retention in the teaching profession.
Evaluation plans that build on and strengthen the previous evaluation effort
Plans for disseminating results of the evaluation studies
MSP Fall 2003

31. Project Description: TF/MTF Proposals
Results from Prior NSF Support (intellectual merit and broader impacts)
Discussion of Broader Impacts of proposed activities
Description of proposed Fellowship program:
For NSF Teaching Fellows
Description of the Master’s degree program
Evidence of an infrastructure that is supportive of new teachers
For NSF Master Teaching Fellows
Description of the professional development program
Evidence of an infrastructure that will support and facilitate the Fellows’ work as Master Teachers

32. Project Description: TF/MTF Proposals
Describe:
Recruitment activities
Selection process
Management and administrative structure
Cost sharing, including source and amount; enter amount on Budget form Line M

33. Project Description: TF/MTF Proposals
Describe:
Plans to monitor and enforce compliance with the required teaching commitment
Plans for sustaining activities beyond NSF funding period
Evaluation plan
Provide evidence of:
Collaboration between STEM faculty and education faculty
Functioning partnerships between IHEs, school districts, and non-profit organizations
Commitment to make the program a central institutional focus

34. Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
Capacity & ability of institution to effectively conduct the program
Number & quality of Fellows that will be served by the program
Justification for number of Fellows served & amount of stipend & salary supplements
Quality & feasibility of recruitment & marketing strategies

35. Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
Extent to which the proposed strategies reflect effective practices based on research
Extent to which STEM & education faculty are collaborating in developing & implementing a program with curriculum based on the specialized pedagogy needed to enable teachers to effectively teach math & science & to assume leadership roles in their schools.
Degree to which the proposed programming will enable the participants to become successful mathematics and science teachers or Master Teachers

36. Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
Feasibility & completeness of an objective evaluation plan that will measure the effectiveness of the proposed strategies
Institutional support for the program & the extent to which the institution is committed to making the program a central organizational focus
Evidence of cost sharing commitments
Plans for sustainability beyond the period of NSF funding

37. Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: TF/MTF Proposals
NSF Teaching Fellows only:
Ability of the program to recruit individuals who would not otherwise pursue a career in teaching & to recruit underrepresented groups
Quality of the Master’s degree program leading to teacher certification
Quality of the preservice student support and new teacher support infrastructure
NSF Master Teaching Fellows only:
Quality of the professional development that will be provided

38. Project Description: Capacity Building Projects
Results from Prior NSF Support: Address prior support relevant to the proposed project
A description of the activities planned, timeline, and outcomes expected to result from the proposal.
Plans for evaluating progress and outcomes of the project.

39. Review Criteria: Capacity Building Proposals
AAAS Noyce Workshops Breakout Session on Track 1 (Scholarships)
Review Criteria: Capacity Building Proposals
Clarity of proposed plans and activities that will lead to a well-designed program consistent with the requirements of the Noyce Scholarship Program
Clear statement of objectives to be completed and expected outcomes of the project.
Evaluation plans that will measure stated objectives and outcomes.

40. The Process
Proposals may be submitted to FastLane or grants.gov (Use FastLane for TF/MTF proposals)
All proposals are peer-reviewed according to standard NSF merit review criteria
Notification of results within six months of receipt
Reviewers’ comments may be accessed through FastLane after final decision is made

41. All Proposals Must Include:
One page Project Summary consisting of 3 sections (text boxes): Overview, Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact
Project description (15 pages)
Must contain a separate section with a discussion of the broader impacts of the proposed activities
Results from Prior Support (if any) must address intellectual merit and broader impacts

42. All Proposals Must Include:
Budget forms and narrative for each year
No cost sharing unless required (eg TF/MTF track)
Budget should only list personnel (PI, Co-PIs, others) who will receive funding through the grant; other internal or external resources (not funded through the grant) that will support the project should be included in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources document
Institutions must use the applicable indirect cost rate (F&A) that has been negotiated with the cognizant federal agency (except if cost sharing required in solicitation
Biosketches for PI, Co-PIs
Current & Pending Support Forms
References

43. All Proposals Must Include:
Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources document:
Provides an aggregated description of the internal and external resources (both physical and personnel) that the organization and its collaborators will provide to the project.
No reference to cost, date of acquisition, and whether the resources are currently available or would be provided upon receipt of award
If there are no resources to describe, a statement to that effect should be included in this section of the proposal and uploaded into FastLane.

44. All Proposals Must Include:
In Supplementary documents section:
Mentoring Plan for Postdoctoral Researchers (if in budget)
Data Management Plan (consult NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 14-1)
Indicate Human Subjects status on cover sheet (pending, approved, or exempt)

45. Common Guidelines for Educational Research
The Guidelines were developed to “establish cross-agency guidelines for improving the quality, coherence, and pace of knowledge development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education” (NSF )
The Common Guidelines (NSF ):
Related FAQs (NSF ):

46. NSF Proposal Writing Tips

47. What Makes a Proposal Competitive?
Original ideas
Succinct, focused project plan
Realistic amount of work
Sufficient detail provided
Cost effective
High impact
Knowledge and experience of PIs
Contribution to the field
Rationale and evidence of potential effectiveness
Likelihood the project will be sustained
Solid evaluation plan

48. Common Weaknesses: Scholarship Track
Proposal does not follow guidelines for Noyce Program
Failure to indicate students will complete STEM major (not change to Science Education or Math Education major
Little information about teacher preparation program
Unrealistic projections
Recruitment and selection strategies not well described
Lack of support for new teachers
Lack of involvement of STEM faculty (or education faculty)
Lacks plans for monitoring compliance with teaching requirement
Weak evaluation or lacks objective evaluator
Does not address Prior Results or Lessons Learned
Lacks details

49. Common Weaknesses of TF/MTF Proposals
Insufficient details for preservice and induction program for Teaching Fellows and professional development program for Master Teaching Fellows
Vague recruitment plans
Selection plans do not follow guidelines
Master Teacher roles and responsibilities not discussed
Matching funds not identified
Role of non-profit organization not clear
School district partnership not strong
Evaluation weak

50. Tips for Success
Consult the Noyce program solicitation and the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
Test drive FastLane
Alert the Sponsored Research Office
Follow page and font size limits
Be aware of other projects and advances in the field
Cite the literature
Provide details
Discuss prior results
Include evaluation plan with timelines and benchmarks

51. Tips for Success Put yourself in the reviewers’ place
Consider reviewers’ comments if resubmitting proposal
Have someone else read the proposal
Spell check; grammar check
Meet deadlines
Follow NSF requirements for proposals involving Human Subjects
Call or NSF Program Officers

52. Return Without Review FastLane will not accept if:
Submitted after deadline
Fail to follow formatting (e. g. page limitation, font size, and margin limits) requirements
FastLane will not accept if:
Fail to describe mentoring activities for postdoctoral researchers if any included in proposed budget
Fail to include data management plan
Fail to include complete Project Summary (3 text boxes: Overview, Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts statements)

53. FY 2014 Noyce Scholarship Program Deadlines
Letters of Intent (optional): February 5, 2014
Full Proposal Deadline: March 5, 2014

54. Not ready to submit a proposal this year?
Consider serving as a reviewer Send a letter of interest and a CV to one of the program officers or fill out the online form at

55. Questions? Contact a Noyce Program Officer:
Joan Prival Nicole Bennett