Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers – Due: 08/14/19

Max $2,000,000 – The aim of the ITEST program is to advance understanding of how to foster PreK-12 student interest and capacities to participate in the STEM and ICT workforce of the future. To achieve this objective, ITEST supports research on the development, implementation, and selective spread of innovative strategies for engaging students in technology-rich experiences that make them aware of STEM and ICT careers, and motivate them to pursue the education necessary to participate in those careers. Individual ITEST projects contribute to this endeavor through applied research that builds on fundamental knowledge, either by testing innovative new learning strategies that are informed by strong theoretical frameworks, or by further development and testing of practices based on empirical evidence of potential impacts. The ITEST program supports these efforts through three types of research and development projects:

-Exploratory projects that advance theory or examine associations among malleable factors that influence learning, moderating conditions, and educational outcomes.
-Strategies projects that address the initial design, development, and implementation of innovative, technology-related interventions.
-SPrEaD (Successful Project Expansion and Dissemination) projects that support the further examination and broader implementation of interventions that have demonstrated evidence of impact. SPrEaD projects may build on efforts previously initiated through a Strategies project, or prior work supported through other means.

Successful ITEST projects will engage students in research studies that: (1) promote student awareness of, interests in, and capacities to participate in STEM occupations or education pathways leading to those occupations; and (2) advance knowledge of promising interventions and the conditions and contexts that influence their success in promoting STEM career awareness among PreK-12 students. ITEST projects may engage students in school or out of school, or through a blend of learning environments. Individual projects may engage students at a single grade or age level, or at multiple elementary, middle, or secondary school grade or age levels. Projects that examine the effectiveness of engaging adult volunteers with relevant disciplinary expertise from academia or industry to mentor or engage students are encouraged, as are projects that would engage students in the uses of cutting-edge technologies, in computing or computational thinking, or in work or problem based experiences involving their use. Projects that link to NSF INCLUDES Design and Develop Launch Pilot Projects are also encouraged.

Go to https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2017/nsf17565/nsf17565.pdf to apply.