Grant Spotlight
Technology & STEM Program to Award up to $30 Million
The deadline for the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students
and Teachers (ITEST) grant program is just around the corner.
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, ITEST offers grants
ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars
for programs that use technology to "strengthen knowledge and
interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
and information and communication technology (ICT) careers. To
achieve this purpose, ITEST supports projects that engage students in
technology-rich experiences that: (1) increase awareness and interest
of STEM and ICT occupations; (2) motivate students to pursue
appropriate education pathways to those occupations; and (3) develop
STEM-specific disciplinary content knowledge and practices that
promote critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills needed
for entering the STEM and ICT workforce of the future,"
according to NSF.
Up to 30 grants will be awarded in 2021 with a total grant pool of
$25 million to $30 million. According to NSF, there will be a number
of different types of projects awards and a wide range of funding
amounts, with the largest grants for the 2021 funding year topping
out at $3 million. NSF indicated there will be 10 to 16 awards on the
lower end of the spectrum, with budgets up to $400,000. Eight to 10
will be for budgets up to $1.5 million. And three to five will be for
budgets up to $3 million.
While typical grantees for the ITEST program are universities and
nonprofits, K–12 schools are eligible and have received funding in
the past.
For example, Riverside Unified School District received an award of
nearly $1.2 million in 2019 for an air quality monitoring project
designed to boost student interest in STEM. Details
on this award, including an abstract, can be found on NSF's site.
Full proposals for the 2021 ITEST program are due
Aug. 13 through research.gov. Further
information on the grant can be found at nsf.gov.