Screenshot of the Access ATE Video

The rapid growth of the STEM workforce has left out individuals with disabilities, according to reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pew Research Center, and Education Week. Community colleges play a critical role in the effort to broaden access in STEM education and careers to be inclusive of students and job seekers with disabilities. 

CAST, the education nonprofit organization that pioneered the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, collaborated with the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) community to develop a series of case studies documenting strategies for implementation of UDL and accessibility best practices in community and technical colleges.

Read the full case study on AccessATE and watch the video on YouTube. 

Logo for EvaluateUR-CURE

EvaluateUR-CURE is now accepting applications to participate in the final round of pilot testing during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. This opportunity is available through an award from the NSF ATE program to the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo State.

EvaluateUR-CURE is a method for evaluating course-based undergraduate research experiences -- CUREs. Combining research into undergraduate courses provides research opportunities for students. 

Pilot testing of E-CURE is open to all faculty. Faculty teaching courses with research experiences (CUREs) at community colleges are especially encouraged to apply. A modest stipend is provided for participating in the pilot and providing feedback.

The application can be completed on EvaluateUR-CURE 's website. 

More information about the project can be found on the main E-CURE page

Two people look at two computer monitors

Join EvaluATE presenters on May 18 for a webinar titled "Leveraging Assessment & Evaluation for Student Success: Working Smarter Not Harder," on learning how to integrate assessment into professional development to boost learning for participants and classroom students.

This presentation is for anyone interested in designing, delivering, and evaluating professional development. Attendees will leave this session with ideas and access to tools that will help leverage learning and deliver data needed for reporting.

The presentation is on May 18, from 4:00-5:00 pm (EDT). Register on the EvaluATE website. 

FORCCE-ATE logo: A force for cyber good

The FORCCE-ATE Faculty Development and Mentoring-Coaching program is designed to educate participating community college teams about the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, to empower them to write competitive grant proposals, and to mentor/coach them through the otherwise daunting writing process. 

For community college educators, FORCCE-ATE can help with preparation for submitting NSF ATE grant proposals to improve cybersecurity education programs. FORCCE-ATE includes many areas of cybersecurity and computing education, such as information technology, computer science, digital forensics, Cloud, IoT, data science, bioinformatics, AI/machine learning, and others. 

Members of the ATE community interested in the program should apply before April 15.

Registration for the annual HI-TEC conference is now open! 

The High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) is a national conference on advanced technological education where secondary and postsecondary educators, counselors, industry professionals, trade organizations, and technicians can update their knowledge and skills. Charged with preparing America's skilled technical workforce, the event focuses on the preparation needed by the existing and future workforce for companies in the high-tech sectors that drive our nation's economy. 

The conference runs from July 25–28 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah. More details on registering can be found on the HI-TEC website and upcoming ATE Central blogs.

Logo for the National Science Foundation, a blue globe with a golden design behind it.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently issued a Dear Colleague letter seeking curriculum development and student engagement proposals for furthering Ocean Technical Workforce Education. Dear Colleague letters (DCLs) are an important category of funding opportunities made available by NSF.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the program officers prior to submitting proposals.

For questions about this DCL, please contact Elizabeth (Lisa) Rom - [email protected] in the Division of Ocean Sciences, Jumoke Ladeji-Osias - [email protected] in the Directorate of Engineering, or  V. Celeste Carter - [email protected] in the Division of Undergraduate Education.

Read the full proposal criteria on the NSF’s website.

Five students in a meeting around a table in a science lab.

The American Association of Community Colleges, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, invites community college students to participate in the 2022 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). In this national competition, teams of community college students work with a faculty or administrator mentor to use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems.

Members of the ATE community are encouraged to share this opportunity with their students and to serve as faculty mentors. Benefits of participation include full travel support to attend an Innovation Boot Camp in the Washington, DC, metro area, as well as cash awards.

Submissions are due March 30, 2022. Visit the CCIC page for more information and submission guidelines, or email [email protected] for questions.

Project Vision: Helping Colleges Innovate

Project Vision is focused on mentoring colleges to align their strategic, facilities, and academic master plan with National Science Foundation (NSF) funding. Project Vision is currently recruiting for its next cohort, which starts in July 2022 and culminates in a grant submission in October 2023. 

In addition to mentorship, Project Vision will offer a $6,000 stipend to each school, assign a subject matter expert fluent in NSF grant submissions, and cover travel to the ATE conference. 

For more information, sign up for one of two upcoming webinars: March 22 at 2:30 pm (Eastern) or April 19 at 2:30 pm (Eastern).

J ATE Journal of Advanced Technological Education logo

The Journal of Advanced Technological Education (J ATE) is a peer-reviewed journal for ATE projects and centers and community college faculty and staff who work in technician education. J ATE launched its inaugural issue on Jan 31, 2022. 

This introductory issue features articles submitted, peer-reviewed, and published. One of the articles addresses autonomous technologies by Zackary Nicklin. Another highlight to enjoy reading features lessons learned in technician education during the COVID-19 pandemic, by Khalid H. Tantawi.

All articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons license. Readers are encouraged to share articles and links.

A dark-haired female student reads a book and takes notes seated at a library table.

The National Science Foundation has announced a new program initiative for individuals in EPSCoR states in response to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The initiative, called EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Program: Bridging EPSCoR Communities (RII-BEC), seeks to bridge programs to facilitate the transitions of affected groups (e.g., women, underrepresented minorities, research trainees, and graduate fellows) from one stage of STEM training to the next.

The initiative will accept proposals that support those individuals most strongly affected by the pandemic at vulnerable career transition points. Proposals may include partnerships within and/or across two-year and four-year institutions (including community colleges).

The deadline for proposal submission is April 4, 2022 at 5:00 pm (local time). Interested proposers are encouraged to reach out to Andrea Johnson or Subrata Acharya with questions about proposal preparation and submission.