Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU)

Overview

The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) Initiative is a Foundation-wide effort to accelerate improvements in the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate education in all STEM fields. Undergraduate STEM education is critical for preparing both a diverse STEM workforce and a STEM-literate public that is ready to support and benefit from the progress of science. The IUSE initiative provides a Foundation-wide framework of investments to support the agency's commitment to the highest caliber undergraduate STEM education. By improving the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate education in all STEM fields, IUSE investments enable NSF to lead national progress toward a diverse and innovative workforce and a STEM literate public.
 
Through the IUSE framework, NSF coordinates its investments in undergraduate programs and undergraduate STEM education to maximize impact, and to use shared metrics and appropriate program evaluation approaches. These investments are made across all directorates and address both STEM education in general and specific disciplinary needs. IUSE investments support a variety of activities including the inclusion of inquiry-based and active learning approaches in undergraduate STEM instruction, efforts to increase undergraduate STEM research experiences and courses, and research on the persistence and graduation of students in STEM programs. In addition, specific emerging cross-disciplinary needs include data science preparation for students in all majors, recruitment and retention of women and of students from groups underrepresented in STEM degree programs, incorporation of undergraduate research in STEM fields for STEM majors and non-majors, and re-envisioning of introductory courses in light of new research findings and theories. IUSE also seeks to broaden participation in STEM fields from all sectors and groups in society and proposers are encouraged to establish linkages, as appropriate, with components of the national network of NSF INCLUDES projects.
 
The IUSE: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU) program seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for all undergraduates. Through its investments, the program seeks to support development, and implementation, and research efforts that (1) bring recent advances in STEM disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge into undergraduate education, (2) adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning, and (3) lay the groundwork for institutional improvement. Investments made by the IUSE: EDU program seek to contribute to the educational and capacity-building goals of the NSF Directorate for STEM Education and to the strategic goals and objectives of the NSF.
 
All projects supported by IUSE: EDU must:
 
•    Demonstrate a strong rationale for project objectives or incorporate and build on educational practices that are demonstrably effective
 
•    Contribute to the development of exemplary undergraduate STEM education
 
•    Add to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education and the conditions that lead to improved STEM teaching and learning
 
•    Measure project progress and achievement of project goals
 
To accomplish these goals, IUSE: EDU projects may focus their activities at any level, including the student, faculty, institutional or community levels. Development, propagation, adaptation, and transferability of evidence-based practices are also important considerations. Projects should consider designing materials and practices for use in a wide variety of institutions or institutional types.
 
Topics of interest to the IUSE: EDU program include, but are not limited to, the following:
 
•    Development and study of the efficacy of innovative teaching and learning practices and resources Development, testing, and dissemination of instruments for measuring student outcomes
 
•    Efforts to increase the diversity of the STEM workforce including K-12 teachers and/or the faculty and institutions engaged in work to improve undergraduate STEM education Faculty professional development to increase the use of evidence-based teaching practices
 
•    Implementation of and research on sustained change processes involved in adopting evidence-based and effective instruction within or across departments, disciplines, or institutions
 
•    Efforts to achieve STEM educational goals through innovative partnerships, for example with community organizations, local, regional, or national industries, centers for teaching and learning, professional societies, or libraries
 
•    Propagating and sustaining transformative and effective STEM teaching and learning through institutional practices or involvement of professional societies
 
The IUSE: EDU program features two tracks:
 
Track 1: Engaged Student Learning (see full guidelines for descriptions of varying levels and their corresponding due dates) - The Engaged Student Learning (ESL) track 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. Projects may focus directly on students or indirectly serve students through faculty professional development or research on teaching and learning. Whatever the focus, all projects should be both evidence-based and knowledge-generating, with well-developed plans to study student experiences and evaluate student outcomes.
 
Track 2: Institutional and Community Transformation (see full guidelines for descriptions of varying levels and their corresponding due dates) - The Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT) track funds innovative work applying evidence-based practices that improve undergraduate STEM education and research on the organizational change processes involved in implementing evidence-based practices. The emphasis of this track is on systemic change that may be measured at the departmental, institutional, or multi-institutional level, or across communities of STEM educators and/or educational researchers.

An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on no more than three IUSE: EDU proposals submitted during the period of October 1 through September 30.This eligibility constraint will be strictly enforced.

Each IUSE proposal must include, as a supplementary document, a list of the name, institutional affiliation, and role of all project personnel outside of the PI, co-PI(s), and senior personnel. This includes project staff, advisory board members, project evaluators, consultants, collaborators, and any other individuals participating in the project. The list should not include graduate or undergraduate students, or individuals yet to be named.

2024 PROJECT TYPE DUE DATES
 
January 17, 2024 - Engaged Student Learning (Level 1) and Institutional and Community Transformation (Level 1) proposals ONLY.
 
AWARD INFORMATION
 
Track 1 Engaged Student Learning
Level 1: projects have a maximum award of $400,000 and a maximum duration of three years. 
 
Track 2 Institutional and Community Transformation
Level 1:  proposals have a maximum award size of $400,000 and a maximum duration of three years.