Deadline Looms for ITEST Grants
The deadline for the Innovative
Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant
program is this Friday. The program will award a total of up to
$30 million and is open to a variety of organizations, including K–12
schools and districts.
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.
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.