January 2021 Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

We’re happy to welcome a new year with optimism: optimism, in part, that we will be able to continue to respond to aspects of our recent national challenges through innovations and changes that will improve STEM teaching and learning in the future. There’s new leadership in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Board (NSB), and an approved FY21 NSF budget that increases the EHR funding focus in areas such as AI research, research that contributes to the success of minority-serving and EPSCoR state institutions, as well as continued focus on the Big Ideas. Insights into the funding priorities for NSF’s EHR directorate (in which DRK-12 is located) may also be informed by STEM Education for the Future: A Visioning Report, produced by a subcommittee of EHR’s advisory committee.
 
This month we announce that registration for the 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase has opened, recognizing that many of you have engaged in your research in ways not initially planned. These are stories that you can tell too! Perhaps some stories will be about projects that cross educational settings, which is also the focus of our current Spotlight on Informal and Formal STEM Education. Even prior to the pandemic, digital affordances and efforts to engage family and community assets in formal learning have led to an increased connection and blurring of boundaries between learning settings for many DRK-12 projects. Listen to Dr. Rabiah Mayas and Dennis Schatz discuss the opportunities and challenges of connecting informal and formal learning and research.
 
We have two upcoming opportunities in February and March. We invite you to office hours with DRK-12 POs to ask questions about managing your grant. And we will begin to accept applications for the 2021 CADRE Postdoc opportunity in February. Watch for our announcement.

Best,
The CADRE Team

Spotlight on Informal & Formal STEM Education

In this month's Spotlight, listen to Dr. Rabiah Mayas and Dennis Schatz discuss the benefits and critical elements of programs that connect formal STEM education to the teaching and learning that happens in homes, communities, and informal institutions. They also consider the opportunities for the field, especially in the context of social justice movements and the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we highlight five DRK-12 projects that bridge formal and informal settings within the STEM teaching and learning ecosystem. 
 
In this Spotlight...

NSF Grants Management: Office Hours with DRK-12 Program Officers

February 24 | 1-2 PM ET
March 4 | 2-3 PM ET

CADRE invites you to participate in virtual office hours with DRK-12 program officers who will answer your questions about NSF grants management policies and procedures related to topics such as post-award changes, participant support, notifications and requests, and preparing high-quality annual and final reports. You can submit your questions during registration and during the event. Prior to attending office hours, please preview the 2020 webinar on managing your NSF grant.
 

Register for the 2021 STEM for All Video Showcase

The 2021 STEM For All Video Showcase is scheduled for May 11-18, 2021. The theme is COVID, Equity, and Social Justice.
 
We encourage you to share your DRK-12 work in a 3-minute video! You must register to participate. Registration is open until February 12. Video submissions are not due until April 21.
 
Each year, facilitators are selected to seed conversations and set a productive tone for collegial discourse at the Video Showcase. If you are interested in serving as a facilitator, please email us.
 
Today, January 26, at 3 PM ET, TERC will be hosting a webinar to share strategies on how to create a video during COVID-19. If you are looking for additional video tips, visit our Dissemination Toolkit.
 

tipsProject Tip: Project Problems and Delays

“No project is a perfect project. Life happens after you hit that submit button and you send your proposal off.” – Julie Johnson, NSF PO
 
NSF expects this. Tell your program officer about problems or delays as the issue comes up and be sure to include information about project changes in your annual report. More tips on managing your project can be found in our last grants management webinar.

Newsbites

News from NSF

News from NSF Networks

News from DRK-12 Projects and Awardees

Awards & Recognition

Podcasts & Webinars

Products

  • AIM-TRU’s professional development mathematics education resources (grades: 6-12) were recently updated for remote learning.

Publications

Do you have news to share? Email cadre@edc.org.
 

Upcoming Opportunities

The following funding and publication opportunities, listed by deadline, may be of interest to you and your DRK-12 project members.

Funding

For more NSF funding opportunities, see CADRE's list of Upcoming NSF DRL Solicitation Deadlines.

Publications
For other publication opportunities, including those with ongoing submissions, see CADRE's list of Publications for STEM Educators, Policymakers, and Researchers.
 
Conferences
For more conference information, see CADRE's list of Conferences for STEM Educators, Policymakers, and Researchers.
 

Career & Professional Development

For job, funding, and capacity-building opportunities for doctoral students, postdocs, and other early career scholars, visit our Early Career News & Opportunities page.
A complete archive of our newsletters and announcements is available on cadrek12.org.

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