Education and Outreach is a CUAHSI core area, and should be an important aspect of larger water science research projects and programs. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has several funding opportunities for formal and informal education projects, and for supplementing current research grants to enhance educational and outreach opportunities.
The Geoscience Education (GeoEd) program is soliciting proposals for "innovative or transformative projects that improve the quality and effectiveness of formal and informal geoscience education at all educational levels, increase the number of students pursuing geoscience education and career paths, broaden participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the geosciences, and promote public engagement in Earth system science." The full solicitation is available at www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?WT.z_pims_id=5505&ods_key=nsf10512. Proposals are due October 12, 2011.
The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in all areas of research. The program supports REU sites, which are independent projects that initiate and involve a number of undergraduate students in a research project. Projects may be located within one department, multiple departments across a university, or be a collaboration among universities. Proposals for REU Sites are due August 24, 2011. Additionally, current principal investigators can request REU Supplements to add an undergraduate research component to a current project. The full program information is available at www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517.
Another important opportunity for current PIs is Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences (CRPA), part of NSF's Informal Science Education (ISE) program. CRPA projects are based on current NSF awards and are a way to "provide an opportunity for NSF-funded researchers to convey to diverse audiences key features of their research such as the methods, results, and significance." CRPA projects may use any platform to communicate their results, and can be requested at any time during an active project, or within 12 months of award expiration. The full ISE program solicitation is available at www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11546/nsf11546.htm.
CUAHSI has a number of services that may assist those responding to Education and Outreach opportunities. Our Cyberseminars and meeting technology are possible mechanisms for outreach, and we are happy to consult on possible platforms for CRPA projects. We can also help by providing information to facilitate researchers in finding formal or informal education collaborators, or other university partners for potential REU site ideas. Please contact Jennifer Arrigo, CUAHSI program manager (jarrigo@cuahsi.org) if you'd like more information. Our Education and Outreach services page (cuahsi.org/eando.html) contains resources on outreach programs, Earth Science Literacy Principles, and other information that may be helpful to those preparing proposals.
