The Mission of the National Science Foundation is

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The Mission of theNational Science Foundation is

• To promote the progress of science to
• advance the national health, prosperity, and
• welfareand to initiate and support basic
• scientific research and programs to
• strengthen scientific research potential and
• science education programs at all levels
• (Source National Science Foundation Act of
  1950)

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The NSF Mission

• Through discovery, learning and innovation that
  will ensure that the nation has the people, ideas
  and tools necessary for a healthy science and
  engineering enterprise
• Source NSF GPRA Strategic Plan, FY2001-2006

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The NSF Mission

• Achieved through the core
• NSF-wide strategies of
• development of intellectual capital,
• integration of research and education, and
• the promotion of partnerships

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The NSF Mission

• In order to (a) make it possible for the U.S.
  to uphold a position of world leadership in all
  aspects of science and engineering (b) promote
  the discovery, integration, dissemination, and
  employment of new knowledge in service to
  society and (c) achieve excellence in U.S.
  science, technology, engineering and mathematics
  education.
• (Source Core Strategies to Realize the Outcome
  Goals, NSF GPRA Strategic Plan FY2001 2006.)

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How NSF Describes its Expectations

• What is the intellectual merit
• of the proposed activity?
• How important is the proposed activity to
  advancing knowledge and understanding within its
  own field or across different fields?
• How well qualified is the proposer (individual or
  team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate,
  the reviewer will comment on the quality of prior
  work.)
• To what extent does the proposed activity suggest
  and explore creative and original concepts?
• How well conceived and organized is the proposed
  activity?
• Is there sufficient access to resources?

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How NSF Describesits Expectations

• What are the broader impacts
• of the proposed activity?
• How well does the activity advance discovery and
  understanding while promoting teaching, training,
  and learning?
• How well does the proposed activity broaden the
  participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
  gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
  
• To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure
  for research and education, such as facilities,
  instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
• Will the results be disseminated broadly to
  enhance scientific and technological
  understanding? What may be the benefits of the
  proposed activity to society?

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NSF in General
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NSF Workforce for the 21st Century Priority Area

• Goals
• Prepare scientists, mathematicians, engineers,
  technologists and educators to meet the
  challenges of the 21st century
• Attract more U.S. citizens to SE fields
• Broaden participation in SE fields

• Areas of Emphasis
• Integrating research and education through
  research experiences for undergraduates
• Faculty for the future
• Integrative institutional collaborations
• Research on the workforce for the 21st century

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NSFs Education and Human Resources Directorate
(EHR)
Challengesand EHRs Efforts To Address Them.
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Meeting the Needs of a ChangingStudent Population

• We are entering a transition between generations.
• An entire Nation is now going to college.
• The pathways to a credential are growing more
  complex.
• The supply of high-skilled, well-educated workers
  is limited unless we solve inequities in our
  system.
• We cannot depend on foreign-born talent although
  we benefit greatly from exchanges of people and
  ideas.
• Many of our young people are ill-prepared to meet
  the challenges of today.

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Core ThemesIn theEHR Portfolio

• The changing nature of science
• The impact of technology
• Pathways to careers importance of transitions
• Building a knowledge base
• Evaluation as a shared element

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Premise
The nature of science is changing. Many of the
most interesting problems transcend disciplines
and have implications for the intellectual
organization of universities as well as the NSF.
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Unraveling the Mysteries of Complexity
The new science of networks must become a
manifestation of its own subject matter, a
network of scientists solving problems
that cannot be solved by any single individual
or discipline. (Watts, 2003)
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Unraveling the Mysteries of Complexity
Its a daunting task, made all the more awkward
by the long-standing barriers separating
scientists themselves.
But it is happeningan explosion in research and
interest across the world in search of a new
paradigm
Source Duncan Watts, Chronicle of Higher
Education, 2/14/03
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Core Investment Areas in theEHR Portfolio

• Attracting and Preparing U.S. Citizens for STEM
  Careers
• Developing K-12 Teachers and STEM Faculty
• Increasing Institution Capacity to Provide STEM
  Education and Prepare STEM Professionals

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The EHR Portfolio

• Building Capacity
• What we want to know and what we want to be able
  to do.
• Individuals
• Institutions
• Collaborations

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Capacity-Building Strategies

• Identify effective ways to prepare and support
  teachers and faculty who can inspire and
  challenge students in the STEM disciplines and to
  provide them with effective materials and
  strategies to promote and assess learning.

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Capacity-Building Strategies

• 2. Invest in research in the science of learning,
  facilitating the translation of research into
  practice, and create supportive learning
  environments and STEM pathways by developing
  models of reform/systemic change at both
  institutional and multi-institutional levels
  through networking, partnerships, alliances and
  collaborations.

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Capacity-Building Strategies

• Ensure that the STEM community is broadly
  representative of the nations individuals,
  geographic regions, types of institutions and
  STEM disciplines.
• Identify effective ways (formal and informal) to
  address the STEM knowledge requirements of adults
  so that they can be productive members of the
  workforce and informed and active citizens.

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A Culture of Evidence in EHR Infusing a Research
Mindset
Where are We Headed?Cycle of Discovery,
Innovation and Application
Design, implement, and document interventions
Design and develop tools, materials and methods
Synthesize and interpret results and identify
new insights and questions
Develop and test theory and knowledge
about teaching and learning
Research on problems of learning,
teaching, implementation and policy
Adapted from RAND Mathematics Study Panel
(Mathematical Proficiency for all Students
Toward a Strategic Research and Development
Program in Mathematics Education (p.5) OERI, U.S.
Department of Education) Sept. 2002