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Summary

History of Funding

This program replaced the Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education program https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/advancing-innovation-impact-undergraduate-stem

Additional Information

The program features two Tracks:

1. A Focus on the Academic Experiences of Two-Year College Students - projects involve direct engagement with students at two-year colleges and focus on developing and/or adapting approaches to promote successful outcomes in STEM courses by placing students at the center of the effort. Student populations could include full and part-time students, students enrolled at multiple colleges, and students participating in dual enrollment and dual credit programs. The faculty, staff and administration of two-year colleges are invited to develop projects that recognize the potential within this unique population to optimize the student experience in STEM courses and pathways. Stipends for student time and engagement with project activities are encouraged.
   1. Examples of Track 1 projects include the transformation of introductory, developmental or laboratory courses for both STEM majors and non-majors. This may include the development and/or implementation of active learning approaches, project-based experiences, contextualized STEM learning activities that provide relevance and connections to students' lived experiences, and school/work-life balance. Projects aimed at developing and/or implementing culturally responsive materials and pedagogical practices that effectively increase belonging, identity, participation, and success in these same introductory courses are particularly encouraged. Projects may also focus on engaging student voices to guide the design of academic experiences that connect STEM education to students' communities. This may include project activities such as service-learning initiatives, community-based projects, internships, authentic research experiences, and other experiential learning opportunities which may involve early exposure to emerging scientific fields in work-based settings.
2. Leveraging Institutional Strengths and Innovation- Proposals submitted under this category are intended to foster single-department, multi-department, or college-wide projects to accelerate innovation and build appropriate capacity in the targeted unit to enable innovation in STEM education at two-year colleges. Track 2 projects should promote student success and increase participation in STEM through novel approaches or through existing practices already known to positively impact student participation and retention outcomes. Track 2 projects may achieve this by leveraging institutional strengths or by fostering partnerships with external stakeholders that expand departmental and/or institutional capacity and impact student success.
   1. Examples of Track 2 projects include professional development of faculty, staff, and administrators, expanding the roles of teaching and learning centers, or establishing a community of practice within or among institutions.  In particular, proposals that aim to develop innovative strategies that effectively engage part-time faculty in these professional development activities are supported and encouraged. Track 2 projects may, for example, seek to create innovative dual credit, dual enrollment, or bridge programs by partnering with local school districts to effectively support students through this transition. Proposed projects may also create interinstitutional partnerships for designing pathways or bridge programs to support students as they transition to a four-year institution seeking a bachelor's degree or to a work-based setting in pursuit of a career in STEM.

The ITYC program will also accept proposals that focus on planning and or conferences/workshops however, a consultation with a program officer is required prior to proposal submission.

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