Are you aware of the
National Science Foundation
Advanced Technological Education program?
NSF ATE focuses on two-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), and supports the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation’s economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions (grades 7-12, IHEs), industry, and economic development agencies to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary institution school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities.
What to know about NSF ATE.
What is the ATE program?
With an emphasis on two-year institutions of Higher Education, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary institutions levels.
The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects will be faculty driven and that courses and programs credit bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.
NSF is particularly interested in proposals from all types of Minority Serving Institutions (including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) where the proportion of underrepresented students interested in advanced technology careers is growing.
Fields of technology supported by the ATE program include, but are not limited to:
Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
Agricultural and Bio-Technologies
Energy and Environmental Technologies
Engineering Technologies
Information Technologies
Micro- and Nano-Technologies
Security Technologies
Geospatial Technologies
Applied Research on Technician Education that informs all supported areas
For additional details on the ATE program, visit the NSF Introduction to ATE page.
The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects will be faculty driven and that courses and programs credit bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.
NSF is particularly interested in proposals from all types of Minority Serving Institutions (including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) where the proportion of underrepresented students interested in advanced technology careers is growing.
Fields of technology supported by the ATE program include, but are not limited to:
For additional details on the ATE program, visit the NSF Introduction to ATE page.
What program track should I take?
With an emphasis on two-year institutions of Higher Education, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary institutions levels.
The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects will be faculty driven and that courses and programs credit bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.
NSF is particularly interested in proposals from all types of Minority Serving Institutions (including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) where the proportion of underrepresented students interested in advanced technology careers is growing.
Fields of technology supported by the ATE program include, but are not limited to:
Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
Agricultural and Bio-Technologies
Energy and Environmental Technologies
Engineering Technologies
Information Technologies
Micro- and Nano-Technologies
Security Technologies
Geospatial Technologies
Applied Research on Technician Education that informs all supported areas
For additional details on the ATE program, visit the NSF Introduction to ATE page.
The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways; and other activities. The program invites research proposals that advance the knowledge base related to technician education. It is expected that projects will be faculty driven and that courses and programs credit bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education.
NSF is particularly interested in proposals from all types of Minority Serving Institutions (including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) where the proportion of underrepresented students interested in advanced technology careers is growing.
Fields of technology supported by the ATE program include, but are not limited to:
For additional details on the ATE program, visit the NSF Introduction to ATE page.
What funding is available?
Anticipated number, size, and duration of new awards:
Small Projects for Institutions New to ATE
12-20 awards for up to $350,000 (each) typically spread over three years.
Projects
Approximately 30-45 new awards for up to $650,000 and a duration of three years.
Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education
1-5 new awards, ranging from $1,200,000 to $3,000,000 spread over 3-4 years.
Planning Grants or Centers
1-2 new awards for up to $70,000 (each) to develop well-formulated plans for a future center.
ATE Center
1-3 awards with funding of $7,500,000 spread over five years, with possibility of renewal for $7,500,000 over an additional five years.
Small Projects for Institutions New to ATE
12-20 awards for up to $350,000 (each) typically spread over three years.
Projects
Approximately 30-45 new awards for up to $650,000 and a duration of three years.
Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education
1-5 new awards, ranging from $1,200,000 to $3,000,000 spread over 3-4 years.
Planning Grants or Centers
1-2 new awards for up to $70,000 (each) to develop well-formulated plans for a future center.
ATE Center
1-3 awards with funding of $7,500,000 spread over five years, with possibility of renewal for $7,500,000 over an additional five years.
Am I eligible?
It is required that projects be faculty (two-year institution) driven and that courses and programs are credit bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to participate fully in its programs.
For more information, visit Section I.E of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide.
For more information, visit Section I.E of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide.
How do I submit my proposal?
Proposers may opt to submit proposals via FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.
For more information and general guidelines to follow, download the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
For more information and general guidelines to follow, download the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
How do I receive my award?
Notification of the Award: Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose grants are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator.
NSF ATE Agency Contact Information
General inquires regarding this program should be made to:
V. Celeste Carter | Lead Program Director | (703) 292-4651 | vccarter@nsf.gov
Pushpa Ramakrishna | (703) 292-2943 | pusramak@nsf.gov
V. Celeste Carter | Lead Program Director | (703) 292-4651 | vccarter@nsf.gov
Pushpa Ramakrishna | (703) 292-2943 | pusramak@nsf.gov
About Mentor-Connect
Mentor-Connect is a leadership development and outreach initiative for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) offering transformational professional development experiences for two-year college STEM faculty. Through mentoring and targeted technical assistance, Mentor-Connect is enabling the nation's two-year colleges to improve and expand technician education programs by increasing their capacity to prepare and submit competitive proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) ATE Program.
Since 2018, Mentor-Connect has been the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) ATE hub. This hub was established to increase capacity to assist more Community College Hispanic Serving Institutions (CCHSIs) across the nation in developing competitive ATE proposals. The ATE program encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and other institutions that support the recruitment, retention, and completion of students underrepresented in STEM technician education programs that award associate degrees.
Since 2018, Mentor-Connect has been the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) ATE hub. This hub was established to increase capacity to assist more Community College Hispanic Serving Institutions (CCHSIs) across the nation in developing competitive ATE proposals. The ATE program encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and other institutions that support the recruitment, retention, and completion of students underrepresented in STEM technician education programs that award associate degrees.
86%
Proposal Submission Rate
Since it’s 2012 launch, 141 ATE proposals have been submitted from 164 colleges that have participated in the first 8 cohorts.
160
2-Year Colleges Served
Over 160 two-year technical colleges have been served by Mentor-Connect through the New to ATE Project.
41
US States Reached
41 states have been reached as well as Puerto Rico and American Samoa (US territories) with cohorts 1 through 9.
NCAT and Mentor-Connect
Our journey.
Mentor-Connect was instrumental in helping to guide us based on where we were going, what we were trying to accomplish, who good contacts would be for some of the core areas that we were trying to shape and grow through our small project, our large project, and ultimately - our center.
Without the guidance of those key points of contact as we formed our network, I don't think we would have been successful on getting to where we are at with the ATE program. I think it is because of that constant mentoring, making sure our ideas were aligned to the program, and helping us identify those right resources that were already out there. That's what has allowed us to be so successful in such a short period of time.
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Without the guidance of those key points of contact as we formed our network, I don't think we would have been successful on getting to where we are at with the ATE program. I think it is because of that constant mentoring, making sure our ideas were aligned to the program, and helping us identify those right resources that were already out there. That's what has allowed us to be so successful in such a short period of time.
