Title : NSF91144-CISE Educational Infrastructure Program Type : Program Guideline NSF Contact : CISE Date : January 7, 1992 Replaces : 90-155 OMB 3145-0058 Keyword Codes P.T. 36, 34, 18 K.W. 1004000 FF National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering Office of Cross-Disciplinary Activities Washington, D.C. 20550 ANNOUNCEMENT CISE EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM Deadline - March 16, 1992 National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering Office of Cross-Disciplinary Activities CISE EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM INTRODUCTION The objective of the CISE Educational Infrastructure (EI) program is to stimulate innovative educational activities which address the problems of undergraduate instruction in the fields of computer and information science, computer engineering and computational science. Some of these problems were identified in a 1988 report issued by the NSF sponsored Workshop on Undergraduate Computer Science Education. The report addressed the following areas: o Curriculum Development: The rapid growth of knowledge in computer science and engineering has led to the need for continuing revision of curricula. New courses must be introduced to capture advances in knowledge and to reflect new emerging fields of research concentration. Improved educational delivery systems and improved educational materials are badly needed. o Laboratory Infrastructure: Computer science is a laboratory science, yet many undergraduate programs at both small and large institutions have inadequate laboratories. There is a pressing need to create and maintain effective laboratory infrastructure at many of the nation's undergraduate degree programs. o Faculty Enhancement: The reward system at many universities provides little incentive for creative and successful teaching of undergraduates. Many current faculty were originally trained in other fields. There is a need to provide better incentives for excellence in teaching and also a need to retrain a sizeable number of faculty. o Instructional Delivery Systems: Computer science and engineering have unique opportunities to enhance instruction through the use of computer technology. Additional research in instructional technologies is needed. This program will support the design, development, and testing of innovative approaches for increasing the effectiveness of the undergraduate learning experience in the fields noted above and which address one or more of the issues highlighted in the Workshop Report. Proposals will also be considered to support services to facilitate economical access by educators to information clearinghouses, expensive or specialized facilities, or to provide expert assistance in implementation of innovative educational support systems. Proposals which are led by outstanding senior scientists and engineers and have the potential for nationwide impact are especially sought. EI awards will be for three years and will range from $400,000 to $750,000 over the period. Support will be provided for a variety of educational activities including curriculum development, faculty enhancement, development of software and other educational materials, equipment acquisition and maintenance, necessary support staff, and other appropriate costs. ELIGIBILITY Proposals will be accepted from any U.S. college or university that currently offers baccalaureate degree programs in any of the fields noted above. At the current level of funding for this program, only a small number of proposals will be selected for support. Only one proposal per institution will be accepted in any one year. DEADLINE The deadline for receiving EI grant proposals is the third Monday in March, i.e. March 16, 1992. Proposals received after this date will be returned unprocessed. Awards are planned for the Fall of 1992. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSALS General criteria for the evaluation of proposals are given in Section II of Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering (NSF 90-77). Because of the size and importance of the program, the proposal evaluation process is planned to be relatively lengthy and thorough. It may include a combination of panel evaluations, mail reviews, and site visits. EVALUATION CRITERIA The section of the proposal (see below) describing the educational activities and the dependence of these activities on the infrastructure requested is a particularly important part of the proposal. In addition to the general evaluation criteria stated in Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering (NSF 90-77), specific criteria to be used to evaluate these proposals will include the following items: o Overall merit of the proposed educational activities. o Significance and likely impact of the proposed educational activities on computer and information science and engineering. o Qualifications, competence and productivity of the proposed Principal Investigator and also the faculty and other project personnel. o Plan for project management and operation of the project. o Plan for evaluation of the project and its impact. o Institutional cost-sharing and related support to the project. An important consideration in evaluating each proposal is whether the three-year project will have a significant positive impact on the institution's educational programs in computer and information science, computer engineering, or computational science, with high potential for extending the impact to other institutions. PROPOSAL FORMAT Proposals should be submitted in accordance with the guidelines set forth in Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering (NSF 90-77). To preclude an information overload during the evaluation process, a strict format and page limit is imposed on proposals to this program. Twenty copies of the proposal are to be submitted, with at least space and a half line spacing and font size no smaller than 12 pitch. In order to accommodate the proposal filing system that is used at NSF the original signed copy must not be bound but rather it must be stapled in the upper-left corner, and it must be printed on one side of the page. The remaining copies can be bound if desired. Except as indicated, all copies must contain the following sections and subsections. Additional subsections may be defined as appropriate. The major sections (I, II,...) are to be separated with labeled tabs. Pages must be numbered. I. Complete Cover Page. The standard NSF cover page (Appendix IV, NSF 90-77) must be used, clearly identifying the proposal as submitted for the CISE Educational Infrastructure Program. II. One copy of Form 1225 (Appendix III, NSF 90-77), with the original copy of the proposal only. Other copies of the proposal are not to include this form. III. One copy of the Lobbying Certification (Appendix IV, NSF -90-77), with the original copy of the proposal only. Other copies of the proposal are not to include this form. IV. Table of Contents with page numbers keyed to major sections of the proposal. V. Executive Summary (Five-page limit) A summary of the remaining sections of the proposal. VI. Proposal Narrative (Fifteen page limit) Description of the educational activities to be undertaken indicating how they are expected to contribute to the institution's educational capability in computer and information science, computer engineering, or computational science, the potential national impact of the proposed activities, and the plan for transferring project outcomes to other institutions. The description should include the duties and responsibilities of the principal investigator and all other associated personnel. Also include a description of the project management plan and the evaluation plan to assess the impact of the proposed educational programs. The structure of this section is left up to the proposing institution. It should present its case in the best possible light bearing in mind the criteria to be used by reviewers in judging the merits of the proposal. VII. Educational Facilities Support (Five-page limit) 1. A description of the equipment, software and other facilities and materials currently available to support the academic programs of the department. 2. A description of the equipment, software and other materials requested for each year, with itemized and total cost. For equipment, include a representative manufacturer and model number if possible. 3. Rationale for the selected equipment and software. 4. Maintenance costs per year and method of computation. VIII. Budget 1. Include on the Summary Proposal Budget (Appendix V, NSF 90-77) the total project costs for all three years. In addition, include a separate year-by-year summary, including amounts requested from NSF, the institutional cost-sharing and other support. 2. Institutions should be prepared to make a substantial financial commitment to the project, including providing an increasing share of the costs of any new facilities developed during the three-year grant period. On termination of the grant, institutions should be ready to assume full support for such facilities. 3. On a separate page, the following statement, signed by both the Principal Investigator(s) and the Authorized Organizational Representative of the institution: "We certify that the Institution will assume an increasing portion of the salaries of support staff and of the maintenance costs during the three-year period of the proposed grant, and we will ensure the continued effective operation of the facility for its useful educational lifetime following the end of the grant." IX. Staff Credentials 1. In no more than two pages each, include the current curriculum vitae and a brief summary of the research and educational accomplishments over the past five years, for each faculty member who will be directly involved in the project. 2. Supply the information indicated in Appendix VII, of NSF 90-77, i.e. all current and pending research and educational project support for each investigator listed in 1. above. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Twenty copies of EI grant proposals must be received before close of business on the third Monday in March, i.e. 5:00 pm EST on March 16, 1992. Copies of the proposals, including the copy bearing original signatures, should be sent to: Proposal Processing Unit Room 223 ATTN: CISE Educational Infrastructure Program NSF Announcement No. 91-144 National Science Foundation Washington, DC 20550 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The brochure Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering (NSF 90-77) is available at no cost from: Forms and Publications Unit Room 232 National Science Foundation Washington, D.C. 20550 202-357-7963 Publications may also be ordered electronically through access to either BITNET or Internet. BITNET users should address requests to "pubs@NSF." Internet users should send requests to "pubs@note.nsf.gov." Requests must include the NSF publication number and title, number of copies needed, your name, and a complete mailing address. For more information on this Program, contact: Dr. Caroline Wardle CISE Educational Infrastructure Program Office of Cross Disciplinary Activities National Science Foundation Washington, D.C. 20550 Electronic mail address: cwardle@nsf.gov, telephone number: (202) 357-7349. The Foundation provides awards for research and educational activities in the sciences and engineering. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation. In accordance with federal statutes and regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation. The Foundation welcomes proposals on behalf of all qualified scientists and engineers, and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research and research-related programs described in this document. NSF has TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) capability which enables individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Division of Personnel and Management for information relating to NSF programs, employment, or general information. This number is (202) 357-7492. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FAH) provides funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff) to work on an NSF project. See the FAH announcement (NSF 91-54), or contact the FAH coordinator (202) 357-7461. Programs described in this publication are in Category 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering) in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Herman G. Fleming Reports Clearance Officer Division of Personnel and Management National Science Foundation Washington, DC 20550 and to: Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Project (3145-0058) Washington, DC 20503 ..stis file is nsf91144 ..expires October 1992 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ** FOR YOUR REFERENCE ** This document is mailed as a feature of NSF's STIS system (Science and Technology Information System). If you would like to know more about STIS, send a message to stisserv@nsf.gov (Internet) or stisserv@NSF (BITNET). The subject will be ignored. Put the following request in the *text* of the message: Request: stis Topic: nsf9110 For information about joining this list, send the following request: Request: stis Topic: stisdirm If you want to get off this list, or change your address, first determine if you received this message from LISTSERV, by checking the mail header. 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