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NSF CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH)
WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the National Science Foundation CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH)
WHO: Texas A&M University faculty, including TAES, TEES and TTI personnel.
WHY: NSF anticipates making Community Building (CB) awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 for a maximum period of three years, Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 for a maximum period of two years and Transformative Implementation (TI) awards up to $1,000,000 for a maximum period of three years.
WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of January 28, 2008.
HOW: Faculty should submit internal proposal to via email for review by the internal selection committee.
THE FINE PRINT:
The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to one Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) Grant and one Transformative Implementation (TI) Grant per institution. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission to the agency.
AGENCY: National Science Foundation (NSF)
AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE: NSF 08-516 CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH)
BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH) Program is designed to transform undergraduate computing education on a national scale. CISE is calling for colleges and universities to work together, along with industry, professional societies and not-for-profit organizations, to formulate and implement plans to revitalize undergraduate computing education in the United States. Successful CPATH projects will be systematic in nature and will demonstrate significant potential to contribute to the transformation and revitalization of undergraduate computing education on a national scale.
In the aggregate, CPATH projects will: enable implementation of integrative models for undergraduate computing education that are replicable across a variety of programs and institutions, and have a high probability of adoption on a national scale; foster the integration of computational thinking approaches into all undergraduate academic disciplines; nurture emerging undergraduate computing education communities and leaders to ensure a continuing sustained focus on innovation in computing education; provide models for new multi-disciplinary programmatic pathways for undergraduate computing education; contribute to the development of a diverse, agile workforce with the computing knowledge essential to U.S. leadership in the global innovation enterprise; promote the formation of partnerships among academic institutions, industry and other organizations with a stake in the revitalization of undergraduate computing education; and develop exemplar pathways for institutions to reinvigorate undergraduate computing education.
The Institutional Transformation Track includes two project types: Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) projects and Transformative Implementation (TI) projects. CDP awards provide support for institutions at early stages of their transformative process. It is expected that CDP projects will result in concrete plans and institutional commitments for implementing the models designed and that a well formulated CPATH Transformative Implementation proposal will be developed. TI awards provide support for large scale implementation and institutionalization of innovative models for revitalizing undergraduate computing education at one or more participating institutions.
Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) activities must be targeted at moving multiple departments or schools within a single institution or group of institutions towards transformative learning which goes beyond the more common process of assimilative learning. In addition, CDP project funds can be requested for developing faculty collaborative groups, convening workshops and focused activities for designing conceptual frameworks, gaining faculty and administrative organizational support, and laying the foundation for the infrastructure changes needed to realize the implementation of the institutional transformative vision for undergraduate computing education. CDP projects also must include sound evaluation plans including contracting an individual external to the project but not necessarily the institution with appropriate expertise.
Transformative Implementation (TI) projects are expected to include outreach to broader institutional communities as the projects and models mature, including the participation of secondary teachers and students as appropriate within the context of the project. Further, TI projects are expected to: implement innovative, integrative organizational models for undergraduate computing education at one or more institutions; provide new or enhanced programmatic pathways for undergraduate computing education; create sustainable changes in culture and practice within the participating organizations; serve as models and resources for the national computing community; extend already implemented innovative undergraduate computing education models and/or approaches to additional institutions; and evaluate the success and impact of the models being implemented. TI projects must also include external evaluators.
More information can be found here.
AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT: The CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education (CPATH) Program is open to academic institutions of higher learning in the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, that award degrees.
AWARD INFORMATION: NSF anticipates making Community Building (CB) awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 for a maximum period of three years, Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 for a maximum period of two years and Transformative Implementation (TI) awards up to $1,000,000 for a maximum period of three years.
ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS: Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: The CPATH program provides funding for activities that include: faculty summer salary and/or release salary; program coordination and clerical support; faculty travel for project coordination and dissemination; workshop costs; and evaluation and assessment costs. CPATH will not provide funding for large equipment purchases and facilities. Further, all CPATH project budgets must include funds for at least one PI to attend the annual CPATH PI meeting. All TI projects must include funds for their external evaluator to attend an annual CPATH evaluator’s meeting. CPATH allows at most modest support for graduate students in a supporting role, with a maximum of one graduate student for a CB project and two for TI projects.
COST SHARING: NONE.
Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines
January 25, 2008: Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal, whether it is an EAE Grant or T Grant proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project.
January 28, 2008: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Office of Sponsored Projects for review by the internal selection committee. The internal proposal should include:
- An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the NSF program announcement; also indicate whether the proposal is a Conceptual Development and Planning (CDP) or Transformative Implementation (TI) Grant.
- Summary budget;
- Project and Management plans, including team members.
The form for completing the internal proposal is here.
This completed form should be submitted electronically for review by the internal selection committee.
Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program here.
Selection of a proposal will be based on NSF guidelines. Meeting the needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account.
During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and commitments. They may also request additional information from PIs.
February 8, 2008: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.
March 11, 2008: Deadline for full proposal: (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).