[LCT] NSF-IUSE proposal preparation

Deadline: 01/15/2025

• Title: Active & Experiential Learning with Low-cost Telescopes
• Project Period: 09/01/2025 - 08/31/2028

Our project is Engaged Student Learning (ESL), Level 2 proposal → Lvl 1 and 2 are divided at \$400k.

The proposal is being prepared and to-be submitted at https://www.research.gov/research-web/

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• 1 inch margin on all sides and no more than 6 lines per inch (set line spacing to 12 pt).
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• Need to create a biosketch and certify in SciENcv (here is the URL link for my Biosketch in prep: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/sciencv/1221039/)
• Need to create Current and Pending support

• Cover sheet
• Project Summary (1 page)
• Table of Contents (auto-generated)
• Project Description (15 pages)
  • Broader Impacts (as a separate section with the section title)
  • and Intellectual Merits (optional)
  • Results from Prior NSF Support (within 5 years)
• References (inclusion of a website here is optional)
• Budget and Budget Justification (no more than 5 pages)

• Synergistic Activities: Each investigator must provide a document of up to 1-page that includes a list of up to five distinct examples that demonstrates the broader impact of the individual's professional and scholarly activities. Some examples include “innovations in teaching and training; contributions to the science of learning; development and/or refinement of research tools; computation methodologies and algorithms, development of database, broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM; participating in international research collaborations; service to scientific and engineering community outside of the individual's immediate organization”.
• Mentoring Plan: (required for supported graduate students now). Examples of mentoring activities include but are not limited to: career counseling; training in preparation of proposals, publications and presentations; guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills; guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas; and training in responsible professional practices.
• Data Management and Sharing Plan:

• Deadline 07/17/2024 for Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT; Level 2) proposals and Engaged Student Learning (ESL; Level 2 and Level 3) proposals
  • Among ICT and ESL, ESL focuses on design, development, and research projects that involve the creation, exploration, or implementation of tools, resources, and models. Projects must show high potential to increase student engagement and learning in STEM. Therefore, our project is a better fit for ESL: (1) Level 1: Early stage or exploratory study up to \$400k, (2) Level 2: support design and development efforts or impact studies6 to improve student learning, including department-wide reform efforts, interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary collaborations, or partnerships across institutions –> up to \$750k, and (3) Level 3: multi-institutional that involves administrators –> up to \$2M.
• Main Scope: To improve STEM teaching and learning for undergraduate students, including studying what works and for whom and how to transform institutions to adopt successful practices in STEM education