Internal Funding Sources

External Funding Sources

American Educational Research Association
Association for the Study of Higher Education
Carolyn Foundation
Foundation for Child Development
Grumman Corporation
Lawrence Foundation
Learn and Serve America
McGraw-Hill Companies
National Science Foundation, Education Overview
Rockefeller Foundation
Spencer Foundation
U.S. Department of Education

Specific Programs

• American Honda Foundation Grants Program
• Annenberg Foundation Grants Program
• ARO--BAA--Conference and Symposia Grants
• AT&T Foundation--Civic and Community Service Grants Program
• AT&T Foundation--Education Grants Program
• Barnes & Noble Grants Program
• CCNY--Education
• Citigroup Foundation Grants Program
• Coca-Cola Foundation Grants Program
• Davis Foundations Grants Program
• Delmas Foundation--Humanities Program
• DOS--OGEP--College and University Affiliations Program for Tunisia
• EHR--DUE--National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library
• EHR--ESIE--Advanced Technology Education
• EHR--ESIE--Informal Science Education
• EHR--ESIE--Teacher Professional Continuum
• EHR--HRD Program for Gender Equity in Science and Engineering
• EHR--REC--Evaluation Program
• EHR--REC--Interagency Education Research Initiative (IERI)
• Focus Area Grants
• Foundation for Child Development Grants
• Gloeckner Foundation--Grants Program
• Hearst Foundations Grants Program
• HSS--Watson Davis and Helen Miles Davis Prize
• Kellogg Foundation Grants Program
• Klingenstein Fund--Grants Program
• Mailman Family Foundation--Grants Program
• MPS--Internships in Public Science Education (MPS-IPSE)
• NATO--Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) Fellowship (Currently Inactive)
• NCRR--Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)
• NCSS--Fund for Advancement of Social Studies Education (FASSE) Demonstration Project Grant
• NCSS--Defense of American Freedom Award
• NEC Foundation Grants Program
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grants
• NIA--Age-Related Changes in Reading and Oral Language Comprehension
• NIDA--Science Education Drug Abuse Partnership Award
• NIDRR--DRRP--National Center on Accessible Education-Based Information Technology
• NIMH--Mental Health Education Grants
• NIMH--Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders
• NOAA--National Marine Aquaculture Initiative
• OPE--Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program
• OPE--FIPSE--Comprehensive Program
• Otto Bremer Foundation Grants Program
• Pew Charitable Trusts--Education Program
• Pew Charitable Trusts--Environment Program
• RGK Foundation Grants Program
• Russell Sage Foundation--Research Grants
• SBE--INT--Cooperative Research Activities
• SBE--INT--Joint Seminars and Workshops
• SBE--INT--Planning Visits
• SBE--INT--Summer Research Experiences for Students
• Sloan Foundation Grants Program
• Smithers Foundation Grants Program
• Sony USA Foundation Grants Program
• Spencer Foundation--Major Research Grants
• Spencer Foundation Small Grants Program
• Toyota USA Foundation Grants Program
• Wallace Foundation
• Wolinsky Family General Grants

Sponsor:American Honda Foundation
Deadline(s): February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor provides grant support for projects in the areas of youth and scientific education. The sponsor defines "youth" as pre-natal through twenty-one years of age. "Scientific education" encompasses both the physical and life sciences, mathematics, and the environmental sciences. Grants are made to worthy, national non-profit causes, programs, and organizations which directly benefit the people of the United States. The sponsor will engage in grantmaking which is consistent with the following characteristics: dreamful (imaginative); creative; youthful; foresightful (forward thinking); scientific; humanistic; and innovative.

To be considered for possible funding, programs related to youth and scientific education should: be dedicated to improving the human condition of all mankind (humanistic); look to the future or be foresightful programs; be innovative and creative programs that propose untried methods which ultimately may result in providing solutions to the complex cultural, educational, scientific, and social concerns currently facing the American society; be broad in scope, intent, impact and outreach; possess a high potential for success with a relatively low incidence of duplication of effort.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are national organizations working in the areas of youth and scientific education. Applicants should be in urgent need of funding from a priority basis (not necessarily financial need); i.e. the relative importance of the program or project to the public. The sponsor will make grants in these fields to:

• educational institutions, K-12
• accredited higher education institutions (colleges and universities)
• community colleges and vocational or trade schools
• scholarship and fellowship programs at selected colleges and/or universities or through selected national, non-profit organizations
• other scientific and education-related non-profit, tax-exempt organizations
• gifted student programs
• national youth educational or scientific programs or institutions
• national educational radio and/or television stations or networks
• nationally distributed and aired films, movies, film strips, slides, and/or short subjects concerning youth and/or scientific education
• college, university or other non-profit laboratories engaged in scientific education
• private, non-profit scientific and/or youth education projects
• other non-profit, tax-exempt, national institutions in the fields of youth and scientific education
• national programs pertaining to academic or curriculum development that emphasize innovative educational methods and techniques

Organizations should not submit a grant application more than once in any twelve-month period. Repeat requests will not be considered in the same year. Only one request per institution in any one quarter may be submitted. The sponsor will consider all of the following possible types of grants: seed; operating; project/program; general support/continuing support; challenge; matching; conditional; scholarships and fellowships; and proactive.

The following grant ranges will apply to requests of a one-time only basis, payable in one lump sum, within one quarter's (three months) grantmaking: $10,000-$50,000. The average grant range is $20,000 to $50,000 per year. The sponsor does not allow indirect costs. Examples of the types of support the sponsor will not provide are:support for individuals, including individual scholarships; organizations operating for profit; loans for small businesses; arts and culture; health and welfare issues; research papers; medical research and/or educational research; programs outside the United States; private foundations; and student foreign exchange programs. Guidelines are available. Proposals may not be submitted by fax.

Sponsor:Annenberg Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support for program development and some pilot projects. Support is primarily made for precollegiate education, and specifically on public school restructuring and reform, grades K through 12. These areas are of particular interest: public education, K-12; early childhood education in relation to public education at the primary level; and child development and youth services.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations that are not classified as private foundations. Projects extending over more than one year are normally not considered. Grants are normally not made for basic research, capital construction, or general operating expenses. No grants are awarded for annual or capital campaigns, scholarships, debt reduction, endowment, conferences, the production of films, or programs focused exclusively on research or evaluation. The sponsor will make no awards intended directly or indirectly to support candidates for political office or to influence legislation, and is generally unwilling to assume responsibility for the long-term support of any organizations or activity.

The sponsor generally does not generally fund programs dealing with mental or physical disabilities, and does not fund book publication or educational media projects, such as television programs, films, or videotaped documentaries. The foundation cannot consider proposals from cultural organizations, social service agencies, or institutions of higher education located in other countries. Initial contact should be a letter of inquiry. Formal proposal guidelines are provided.

Sponsor:Department of the Army
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor supports conferences and symposia in special areas of science that bring experts together to discuss recent research, education findings, or to expose other researchers or advanced graduate students to new research and education techniques. The sponsor encourages the convening in the United States of major international conferences and assemblies of international alliances.

Restrictions:
Requests for support should be submitted a minimum of six months prior to the date of the conference. Eligible applicants are tax-exempt, scientific, technical, or professional organizations. Co-sponsorship of conferences and symposia with industrial concerns is prohibited. Foreign participants are eligible with the exception of those from communist countries. Funding amounts vary depending upon the scientific and technical conferences. Funds can not be used for payment to any federal government employee for support, subsistence, or services in connection with the proposed conference or symposium. Potential applicants are urged to contact the ARO Legal Office at (919) 549-4292, or e-mail at Rutter@aro-emh1.army.mil before submitting a proposal for a conference or symposium.

Sponsor:AT&T Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor supports a variety of comprehensive civic and community service programs. The sponsor is especially interested in projects that utilize technology to advance one or more of the following objectives:

• support projects of organizations that provide direct health services to those in need, including private or independent, not-for-profit hospitals, if they are first-call hospitals to which the sponsor refers employees for emergency treatment, are near a major AT&T facility, and serve a substantial number of the medically underserved
• encourage diversity in the work force and society through education and direct-service programs promoting equal opportunities for minorities, women, and people with disabilities
• support environmental projects or initiatives, particularly in the areas of technology, education, volunteerism, sustainability and clean water
• support U.S.-based national organizations that study broad public-policy issues related to governance, and social and economic conditions
• enhance the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector, and support of organizations that work to engage more people more effectively in volunteer community service.

Sponsor:AT&T Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor supports education programs that focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning, concentrating on the role of technology in education and its capacity to connect students, teachers, classrooms, institutions and communities. Funding is offered under the Learning Network Grants Program and the Invitational Grant Program.

The Learning Network Grants Program provides funding to projects which demonstrate effective and innovative uses of technology in supporting families, schools and communities to accomplish the following: encourage family involvement in education; provide professional development opportunities for educators and assist in the preparation of future teachers; and develop and implement plans to promote lifelong learning and community collaboration.

Invitational grants provide funding for projects that address issues of technology in public policy; systemic education reform; academic standards, assessment, and accountability; and access to educational opportunities by all segments of society.

Special consideration will be given to: projects that involve collaboration among families, schools, colleges, universities, educational organizations, and/or community-based organizations; and schools, institutions, organizations and projects located in areas where the sponsor has large concentrations of employees and business operations.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are all accredited public and private elementary and secondary schools as well as accredited public and private two and four-year institutions of higher education and educational nonprofit organizations in the U.S., Puerto Rico and all U.S. territories. Applicants must be tax-exempt organizations. The program focuses on the use of technology, not on the equipment and infrastructure necessary to support that use. Grants will not fund requests which are exclusively for the purchase of computers, modems, wiring or other infrastructure needs.

The sponsor does not: award grants to individuals; support organizations whose chief purpose is to influence legislation or to participate or intervene in political campaigns on behalf of or against any candidate for public office; support endowments or memorials; support construction or renovation projects; sponsor sports teams or any sports-related activity or competition; purchase tickets to fund-raising events or sponsor advertising.

In addition to the general sponsor exclusions, the Education Program does not support: the purchase or installation of computers, modems, printers, telephones, facsimile machines, wiring, or other equipment, unless a small but integral part of a larger project; scholarships to individual students; non-academic or extracurricular programs such as sports programs or administrative activities; student organizations; endowments, memorials or named academic chairs; or general operations. Interested applicants should submit a brief letter of introduction and description if the project is local in scope to the appropriate AT&T Regional Contributions Manager. Information on the regional office serving your state or nation is available from the sponsor. If the program is national in scope, the sponsor should be contacted at the address above.

Sponsor:Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Deadline: Open

Objectives:
The sponser focuses on programs in literacy, the arts or education (kindergarten to grade twelve). Barnes & Noble is proud to provide support for local, regional and national programs that focus on these areas of development.

Eligibility:
For local and regional programs, eligible organizations should be located in areas where the sponser has business interests. Regional or local proposals should be submitted to the Barnes and Noble store. For national programs, proposals should be submitted to the address listed on the sponser's website.

Sponsor:Carnegie Corporation of New York
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support to academic institutions and national and regional organizations for projects concerned with programs three main focus areas: Early childhood education and care; urban school reform; and higher education.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE--research and policy analysis needed to expand the availability of affordable, high-quality programs that improve all children's chances of success in school and that better meet the needs of working parents. Particular attention will be paid to financing, professional development, and system design options.

URBAN SCHOOL REFORM--analyses of progress and barriers to change in a number of cities; identification and dissemination of effective district practices with respect to key roles, such as professional development of teachers; assistance for local school change; the institution of accountability mechanisms; and mobilization of public support.

HIGHER EDUCATION--concentrate initially on the dissemination of the best models of teacher education to encourage their wider adoption; on assistance to governors and other state policymakers in developing incentives and accountability mechanisms to promote more widespread change; and on promoting broader public understanding of the importance of teaching quality; and exploring the most effective ways to address these questions about undergraduate liberal education and, therefore, will not be accepting unsolicited proposals in this area until further notice.

Restrictions:
The sponsor makes grants primarily to academic institutions and to national and regional nonprofit organizations for projects that have potential for national or international impact. Grants are not generally made to individuals. Support is not provided for scholarships, fellowships, or travel grants. The sponsor does not make grants for basic operating expenses, endowments, or facilities of individual schools or school districts, colleges, universities, or human service organizations. It does not make program-related investments. There are no application forms. Applicants should submit a brief statement containing a description of the project's aims, amount of support required, duration, methods, personnel, and budget. Detailed proposals may be requested if the project is within the sponsor's areas of interest.

Sponsor:Citigroup Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support for organizations that contribute to the vitality of communities worldwide. The sponsor's mission is: to improve the quality of life now and in the future for children, families, and communities around the world. The sponsor makes grants in the following areas:

EDUCATION (EARLY CHILDHOOD)--grants are made to programs that promote affordable, high quality, early childhood learning experiences that prepare children to be school-ready. Priority is given to programs that improve daycare availability, standards, curriculum and staff training.

EDUCATION (K-12)--grants are made to strengthen K-12 education in low-income neighborhoods. Grants emphasize creation of "smarter schools" and "smarter classrooms." The "smarter schools" initiative supports improvements in the governance of public schools and higher standards for student performance. It also funds alternative schools that offer more individual attention to students as well as mentoring and tutoring. The "smarter classrooms" initiative supports creative financial literacy initiatives, innovative classroom technologies and successful school-to-work programs.

EDUCATION (COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES)--grants are made to increase representation of minorities and women, to raise global awareness and understanding, and to invest in technologies that transfer knowledge.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS--a limited number of grants are directed toward organizations and initiatives that focus on environmental education and sustainable development.

Restrictions:
Organizations encouraged to submit proposals may do so at any time during the calendar year. The sponsor encourages submissions early in the year. Eligible applicants are non-profit, tax-exempt organizations. Grants are not made to individuals for educational or other purposes; political causes or candidates; or religious, veteran, or fraternal organizations, unless they are engaged in a significant project benefiting the entire community. The sponsor prefers to solicit proposals from prospective grantees with demonstrated success in the areas described above. Unsolicited proposals will be accepted, but a favorable decision is less likely.

Funding and duration of grants will vary from proposal to proposal. Approximately seventy-five percent of the grant budget will be dedicated to funding requests for community development and education programs. The remaining budget will be used for programs in the arts, health and human services, and environmental education. Grants are not made for fundraising events, telethons, marathons, races, benefits, or courtesy advertising. Applications and guidelines are available.

Sponsor:Coca-Cola Foundation
Deadline(s): March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support to encourage new solutions to countless problems that impede educational systems today, and it supports existing programs that work. The sponsor offers support to public and private colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools, teacher-training programs, educational programs for minority students and global educational programs. The sponsor devotes much of its efforts to partnership in three main areas:

HIGHER EDUCATION--pipeline programs connecting various levels of education that encourage students to stay in school and to proceed with confidence to college and graduate school; scholarship programs in support of graduate and undergraduate students; and minority advancement in the form of scholarships, urban programs and cultural diversity programs.

CLASSROOM TEACHING AND LEARNING--innovative K-12 public school programs, and those outside the "four walls" of the classroom; teacher development programs; and smaller projects dealing with specific activities in the elementary and secondary classroom.

GLOBAL EDUCATION--global exchange programs that encourage international studies, global understanding or student/faculty exchange; and programs outside the U.S. promoting education.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are tax-exempt organizations, public and private colleges and universities, and elementary and secondary schools. The sponsor does not make grants to individuals; religious organizations and endeavors; political, legislative, lobbying or fraternal organizations; or organizations that do not have tax-exempt status. Funding amounts will vary. Applications and guidelines are available.

Sponsor:Davis (Arthur Vining) Foundations
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
Support is concentrated in the following areas:

SECONDARY EDUCATION--the majority of grants will be made to innovative professional development programs that strengthen teachers and their teaching in grades 9-12. Consideration will be given to projects which seek to address the concerns and problems of secondary education on a national level. Collaborative partnerships between the faculties of colleges (e.g., arts and sciences and education) and high schools or combined efforts involving reform organizations, colleges/universities, and high schools are also encouraged. Proposals will be accepted from institutions ranging from graduate schools of education to free-standing educational research institutes.

PUBLIC TELEVISION--the Foundations are interested in public television as an educational medium. Grants primarily provide partial support for major educational series assured of airing nationally by PBS. Consideration will also be given from time to time to single stand-alone programs of exceptional merit. Programs should have lasting educational value. A consideration in evaluating competing proposals is their utility in K-12, college/university and continuing education settings. Children's series are of particular interest. Consideration will also be given to innovative uses of public television (including computer online efforts) to enhance educational outreach in schools and communities. Proposals for "capstone" grants which assure completion of production funding are preferred. Research and pre-production funding are seldom supported.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are institutions within the U.S. and its possessions. Individuals are not supported, except as participants chosen by the grantee institution in an organized scholarship program. The sponsor does not support publicly governed colleges and universities and other entities (except medical institutions) which are primarily supported by government funds. For grants in the category of secondary education, public as well as private universities and colleges are eligible for funding; only in exceptional cases will proposals be accepted directly from individual private or public schools or school districts.

Grant amounts normally range in each area of interest as follows: private higher education--$100,000 to $200,000; secondary education--$75,000 to $150,000; health care--$50,000 to $200,000; religion--$75,000 to $150,000; and public television--$100,000 to $500,000. Projects requiring multi-year annual funding are not supported. Applicants should submit a letter, for which guidelines are available. All proposals must come from the president or other primary executive of an institution.

Sponsor:Delmas (Gladys Krieble) Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor intends to further the humanities along a broad front, supporting programs in the following areas: languages, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences which share the content and methods of these humanistic disciplines. The program includes institutions of the humanities such as learned societies, museums, archives, and major editorial projects.

It also sponsors projects that explore the boundaries between the humanistic disciplines and other areas of scholarship. Support is provided for programs at the postgraduate and university level, but will not exclude projects designed to strengthen preparation for the humanistic disciplines in secondary education.

Restrictions:
Research institutions and cultural or educational organizations are eligible. Awards are made for both general operating and project support. No grants will be made for building campaigns. Endowment contributions will be considered only in cases where the purpose and benefit of the grants are clearly focused. Applications are by invitation only. Letters of inquiry, within the scope of the programs outlined, should be addressed to the Secretary to the Board. Information and guidelines are available.

Sponsor:Department of State
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor offers an assistance award program to support the development of programs of instruction and faculty training at universities in Tunisia in business management, public administration, or another field with significant potential impact on the Tunisian economy. Eligible applicants may apply to pursue institutional or departmental objectives in partnership with one or more Tunisian institutions with support from the College and University Affiliations Program.

The means for achieving the objectives of the applicant and its partner(s) may include mentoring, teaching, consultation, research, distance education, internship training, and professional outreach to public and private sector managers and entrepreneurs. Proposals emphasizing practical strategies to assist the Tunisian faculty and administrators to develop new curricula, teaching methodologies and programs are encouraged. All proposals should explain the potential impact of the project on the Tunisian economy.

Eligibility:
In the United States, participation in the program is open to accredited two and four-year colleges and universities, including graduate schools. Applications from consortia or other combinations of U.S. colleges and universities are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may include governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as non-profit service and professional organizations. Participants representing the U.S. institution must be U.S. citizens. With the exception of outside consultants reporting on the degree to which project objectives have been achieved, participants who are traveling under the Bureau's grant funds must be teachers, advanced graduate students who are teaching or research assistants, or administrators from the participating institution(s).

Advanced graduate students are eligible for Bureau-funded participation in this program only if they are working under the direction of an accompanying faculty participant. In Tunisia, the partner must be a recognized institution of post-secondary education. Secondary foreign partners may include relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as non-profit service and professional organizations concerned with issues in business development or public administration training in Tunisia. Foreign participants must be citizens or permanent residents of Tunisia and must be qualified to receive a J-1 visa.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s):March 2007 (anticipated)
Objectives:

Building on work supported under the multi-agency Digital Libraries Initiative, this program aims to establish a national digital library that will constitute an online network of learning environments and resources for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education at all levels.

The program will accept proposals in four tracks: (1) A Core Integration project is expected to focus on the coordination and management of the library's core collections and services and to develop the library's central portal. (2) Collections projects are expected to aggregate and manage a subset of the library's content within a coherent theme or specialty. (3) Services projects are expected to develop services which support users, collection providers, and the Core Integration effort and which enhance the impact, efficiency, and value of the library. (4) Targeted Research projects are expected to explore specific topics that have immediate applicability to one of the other three tracks.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are U.S. colleges and universities, nonprofit, non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, State and local agencies, and unaffiliated scientists and engineers.

EHR -- ESIE -- Advanced Technology Education (ATE)

Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Deadlines: April 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
Jointly managed by the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE), the ATE program promotes improvement in technological education at the undergraduate and secondary school levels by supporting curriculum development; the preparation and professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; internships and field experiences for faculty, teachers, and students; and other activities. With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.

The program also promotes articulation between programs at two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities--in particular, articulation between two-year and four-year programs for prospective teachers (with a focus on activities and disciplines that have a strong technological foundation) and between two-year and four-year programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (also with a focus on disciplines that have a strong technological foundation). In addition, the program invites proposals focusing on research relating to technician education.

Eligibility:
Two-year colleges and other associate degree-granting institutions are especially encouraged to submit proposals, and all proposals are expected to include one or more two-year colleges in a leadership role. A proposal from an informal consortium of institutions should be submitted by one member of the consortium; a proposal from a formal consortium--such as a community college system or school district--should be submitted by the consortium.

An individual may serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) on no more than one proposal submitted for each deadline date, but may serve as a co-PI on multiple proposals.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): Decembr 14, 2006; July 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
Grants support activities which provide rich and stimulating opportunities outside formal school settings, where individuals of all ages, interests, and backgrounds increase their appreciation and understanding of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.

The program especially encourages projects that are creative and innovative learning activities that reflect and apply recent research in science, mathematics and technology (SMT) education; contribute to strengthening the infrastructure of informal science education through such activities as electronic networking, technical assistance, and professional development; and conduct research on the informal education process to determine the effectiveness of innovative techniques for motivating and informing the public about topics in SMT. Community based programs may increase the sciences, mathematics, and technology interests and literacy of their audiences.

Supported projects included, but are not limited to: television series and programs for youth or for the general public; films on SMT topics; exhibits or educational programs at science and natural history museums, science-technology centers, aquaria, nature centers, botanical gardens, arboreta, zoological parks, and libraries; and educational programs and activities at community and youth centers. Most projects are designed to reach large audiences and to have a significant regional or national impact.

Restrictions:
Full proposals are due June 1, with preliminary proposals submitted no later than March 1; and November 15, with preliminary proposals submitted no later than August 1. Eligible applicants are U.S. organizations with a scientific or educational mission, including colleges and universities, State and local education agencies, school districts, professional societies, museums, research laboratories, media producers, private foundations, private industry, publishers, and other public and private organizations whether for profit or not-for-profit.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to involve participation from other sectors. The expectation for significant cost-sharing is dependent on the scope and nature of the project. In most media projects, the sponsor may contribute up to one third of the total project cost. For museum and community/youth-based projects, the sponsor generally supports up to two-thirds of the total project costs. Indirect costs are allowed, but not on participant costs. In the past, awards ranged from $25,000 to $3 million, for one- to five-year projects.

Submission of preliminary proposals is required. Unless otherwise specified in the Program Announcement (NSF 99-92), proposals should be prepared and submitted according to the guidelines and using the standard NSF Forms found in the Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 00-2). The document is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf002/start.htm; paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Clearinghouse, 301-947-2722, pubs@nsf.gov.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s):March 2007 (anticipated)
Objectives:
The Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC) program is the National Science Foundation's major programming effort supporting the full continuum of professional development from recruitment, preparation, and induction, through the life-long development and retention of K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. A major focus of TPC is the synthesis and further advancement of a compelling body of research that will both inform and strengthen STEM teacher effectiveness and classroom instruction.

Eligibility:
Proposals may be submitted by institutions and organizations including universities, two- and four-year colleges, state and local education agencies, school districts, professional societies, research laboratories, informal science education centers, private foundations, or other public and private organizations whether for-profit or not-for-profit.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): October 2006 and January 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
The program seeks to broaden the participation of girls and women in all fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by supporting research, dissemination of research, and extension services in education that will lead to a larger and more diverse domestic science and engineering workforce. Typical projects will contribute to the knowledge base addressing gender-related differences in learning and in the educational experiences that affect student interest, performance, and choice of careers; and how pedagogical approaches and teaching styles, curriculum, student services, and institutional culture contribute to causing or closing gender gaps that persist in certain fields.  Projects will disseminate and apply findings, evaluation results, and proven good practices and products.

The Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program has been funding these objectives since 1993, under the prior names "Program for Women and Girls" (PWG), "Program for Gender Equity in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology" (PGE), and "Gender Diversity in STEM Education" (GDSE).

EHR--REC--Evaluation Program

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The Evaluation Program recently completed a five-year plan to evaluate the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education initiatives. Evaluation findings may be used by the sponsor to improve science education programs; by principal investigators as they direct their own education projects; and by policy-makers, administrators, and members of the instructional workforce who implement and adapt the various products of NSF programs, including materials, computer software, teaching strategies, and research findings. Evaluations and impact studies are produced by outside researchers and organizations under competitively awarded contracts. The program also may accept proposals for the development of innovative techniques, approaches, and methodologies for the general improvement of the field.

Restrictions:
There are no fixed target dates for submission of proposals under this program; however, preliminary proposals are required in all cases in which a grant is sought. Eligible applicants are public and private colleges and universities, industry and business, and other organizations and associations with an educational mission. Support is provided for up to five years. Indirect costs are allowed. Cost sharing is generally required at a minimum of one percent on unsolicited proposals. The sponsor makes only a few awards in this program area, generally no more than five per year. Application forms and guidelines are available. Proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 00-2, available from the NSF Clearinghouse, 301-947-2722, pubs@nsf.gov. or electronically at www.nsf.gov. Applicants are advised to contact the sponsor before submitting a request for funding.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): March 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
The sponsor, in partnership with the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) in the Department of Education (ED), and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports rigorous, interdisciplinary research on large-scale implementations of promising educational practices and technologies in complex and varied learning environments. The goal of the IERI is to improve preK-12 student learning and achievement in reading, mathematics, and science. Priority will be given to IERI applications that meaningfully address one of the following two focus areas:

Early Learning of Foundational Skills--this focus area is concerned with the acquisition of foundational skills in reading, mathematics, and science in preK through grade school, assessment of readiness for learning in theses domains, research for measures for determining the achievement of proficiency, and investigation of the role of teacher learning and performance on student learning and achievement. It is anticipated that planning grant and research study proposals will contribute knowledge regarding instructional practices and related educational policy issues.

Transition to Increasingly Complex Science and Mathematics Learning--this focus area is concerned with the processes involved in the learning and integration of science and mathematics by students. The sponsor is also concerned with the use of computer and information technologies in improved student learning. It is anticipated that planning grant and research study proposals will contribute knowledge regarding instructional practices and related educational policy issues.

Proposals must also address all of the following benchmarks: research methodology; scalability; technology; and interdisciplinary research teams.

Restrictions:
Proposals may be submitted by individual investigators or by small groups of investigators from colleges, universities or other non-profit organizations including local and state agencies. Proposal teams should reflect synergistic collaborations among researchers and practitioners. Collaboration or partnerships with industry or government laboratories is encouraged when appropriate. A principal investigator may submit only one proposal and he/she may collaborate in one other proposal as a co-investigator. Group and collaborative proposals involving more than one institution must be submitted as a single administrative package from one of the institutions involved.

Funding for planning grants will be for a maximum of $100,000 for up to twelve months; funding for research study grants will typically be up for $6 million for the life of the award (up to sixty months). The sponsor anticipates making twenty-five awards. Proposals submitted for research study grants that do not meet one or more of the benchmarks but are judged to have merit may be offered a planning grant so that further development work can be conducted prior to re-submission. Pending the availability of funds for both FY 2000 and FY 2001, the total funds available under this Initiative in FY2000 (the first award date) will be $38 million, with $25 million from NSF, $10 million from OERI, and $3 million from NICHD. The total funds available under this Initiative in FY2001 (the second award date) are projected to be $48 million.

Formal proposals must be submitted electronically via FastLane. Proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 00-2), available electronically on the sponsor's web site at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf002/start.htm. Paper copies are available from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, 301-947-2722, pubs@nsf.gov.

Sponsor:Xcel Energy Foundation
Deadlines: Education: February 2007; Communities: May 2007;
Arts/Culture: August 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
The sponsor's giving is focused in three areas-building stronger communities, education, and arts and culture:

• promoting leadership and community development efforts that will improve the quality of life for young children at local, state, and national levels through community demonstrations of effective models, models for training early childhood professionals and paraprofessionals (primarily in minority institutions), and leadership development, public awareness, and public policy education
• helping youth make the transition from childhood to adolescence, by concentrating on communities that are working to develop comprehensive solutions to the needs and problems of young teens using effective and holistic interventions including community demonstrations of effective models, education and training of those who work with youth, and leadership development, public awareness, and public policy education
• focusing on programs that support youth in successfully navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood, while maintaining gains during previous stages of positive youth development, and while developing a sense of responsibility.

HIGHER EDUCATION--support projects to strengthen higher education and mobilize its resources to help address societal needs. Strategies include:

• helping American higher education to examine and transform structures and practices that impede effective learning, and institutional development
• supporting colleges and universities to assist in community problem solving by providing action research, analysis, and partnerships
• supporting institutions serving as models of institutional change
• supporting expansion of the knowledge base in adult continuing education

Certain funding interests of the Foundation are referred to as cross-cutting themes. Requests for funds in these areas often are a part of a request within one of the major programming areas:

LEADERSHIP--support programs that improve the ability of leaders in a variety of fields to find creative solutions to problems that face institutions and communities. The sponsor also helps new and established leaders develop broad perspectives about local and national issues and problems.

CAPITALIZING ON DIVERSITY--supports efforts that help society to maximize the human resource potential of diversity, and capitalize on the opportunities it presents. The aim is to give voice to underrepresented populations by enabling them to share their needs and concerns with other citizens and with policymakers.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT--support comprehensive approaches which integrate resources and foster cooperation at the family, neighborhood, community and policy levels.

Restrictions:
Grants are made to nonprofit organizations and institutions in the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, and southern Africa. Funding varies from proposal to proposal. The sponsor does not make loans and does not provide grants for operational phases of established programs; capital facilities, equipment, or conferences; publications, films, or television or radio programs unless they are an integral phase of a project being funded; endowments or development campaigns; religious purposes; or individuals (except for fellowships in specific areas of sponsor programming).

The sponsor funds research only as part of a broader, sponsor-supported, program of action, including investigation of the effects of the funded project's results. Application forms are not used by the sponsor. Instead, grant applicants are required to write a one- or two-page pre-proposal letter describing the basic problem and the applicant's plan for solving the problem. If the proposal is within the sponsor's guidelines and interests, a detailed proposal will be requested. Guidelines are available.

Sponsor:Klingenstein (Esther A. & Joseph) Fund
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides grants in the following two major areas of interest: basic research in neuroscience, specifically related to the etiology of epilepsy; and independent secondary education, primarily (but not exclusively) for faculty development activities through the sponsor's Klingenstein Center for Independent Secondary Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition, the sponsor makes some grants to organizations and institutions concerned with the historic importance of the separation of church and state and the preservation of religious liberty; animal-based research; family planning; teenage pregnancy; minority affairs; and public policy.

Restrictions:
Proposals are considered at Director's meetings, which take place four or five times a year. Eligible applicants are domestic tax-exempt organizations. Previous grants have generally ranged from $10,000 to $50,000. Support has been provided for conferences/seminars, fellowship programs, general support, matching funds, operating expenses, project support, research, and seed money. No grants are made to individuals or endowments and rarely for building or other capital projects. Indirect costs are allowed in certain cases. Application materials are available.

Sponsor:Mailman (A. L.) Family Foundation
Deadline(s): January and June 15, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor funds projects of national or regional import in the childhood field. Special interest is in projects that: improve systems of care (training, financing, quality improvement, development and leadership); engage and inform families; mitigate the effects of poverty on young children; build community support and involvement; develop tools and materials that are needed in the field; and promulgate effective approaches to fostering emotional, social, and moral development. The national grantmaking areas include: Early Care and Education; Support; and Moral Education and Social Responsibility.

Sponsor:National Science Foundation
Deadline(s): Second Monday in February, annually

Objectives:
In order to promote the involvement of the research community in public educational activities, NSF's Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) announces the MPS Internships in Public Science Education(IPSE) program. IPSE is intended to bring recent science research results from MPS disciplines to the public by promoting partnerships between the MPS research community and specialists in public science education. The IPSE activity will provide support for undergraduate and graduate students and K-12 teachers to work in conjunction with MPS research scientists, and with professionals at science centers and museums, on projects in public science education.

Eligibility:
Proposals will be accepted from academic institutions in the U.S. and its territories, science centers or museums, and MPS-funded centers, facilities, and institutes. An academic institution is defined here as a college or university granting degrees (2- or 4-year) in any of the MPS disciplines: astronomy, chemistry, materials research, mathematical sciences, and physics. Science centers or museums are defined to be non-profit organizations whose primary mission is public science education, i.e., science centers, museums, visitor centers, etc., with programs or activities in one or more of the MPS disciplines.

Proposals must show evidence of partnerships between academic institutions and science centers or museums. Proposals from MPS-funded centers, facilities, or institutes must show the active collaboration of both research scientists and educators from the organization. Partnerships outside the institution are encouraged. Eligible participants are students at the undergraduate or graduate level or K-12 teachers.

Sponsor:National Institutes of Health
Deadline:October 1, annually

Objectives:
The Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Program encourages biomedical and/or behavioral scientists to work as partners with science museum educators, media experts, and other interested organizations on projects to improve the student (K-12) and the public understanding of the health sciences.

Sponsor:National Council for the Social Studies
Deadline(s): May 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
The sponsor provides funding to support projects for the improvement of social studies education, where social studies is defined as the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. The theme is: "Social Studies Standards: Are They Impacting Student Learning?" Proposals must address effective social studies curriculum and standards, teaching and learning, and assessment. The proposal should emphasize a program(s) in which the NCSS standards are impacting student learning. The program should serve a student body that is ethnically, culturally, and/or racially diverse.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are current social studies teachers or social studies teacher educators. Membership in the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is required.

Sponsor:National Council for the Social Studies
Deadline(s): March 2007 (anticipated)

Objectives:
Basic to democratic society are the freedoms of teachers to teach and of students to learn. The democratic way of life depends for its very existence upon the free contest and examination of ideas. Especially as they apply to pre-collegiate public education, decisions made by courts, state legislatures, boards of education, and school administrators have shown disregard for the teacher's professional role in dealing with controversy in the classroom.

A teacher's freedom to teach involves both the right and the responsibility to use the highest intellectual standards in studying, investigating, presenting, interpreting, and discussing facts and ideas relevant to his/her field of professional competence. This freedom implies no limitations other than those imposed by generally accepted standards of scholarship. As a professional, the teacher strives to maintain a spirit of free inquiry, open-mindedness, and impartiality in the classroom.

In social studies, which NCSS defines as "the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," controversial issues must be studied in the classroom without the assumption that they are settled in advance or that there is only one "right" answer in matters of the dispute. The social studies teacher is obligated to approach such issues in a spirit of critical inquiry rather than advocacy. The central issue in considering a teacher's fitness is the quality of his/her performance in the classroom and his/her relationship with students. A teacher's personal, political, social, and economic beliefs should not be criteria for evaluating professional competence.

The NCSS Defense of Academic Freedom Award is given annually to recognize and honor those who have distinguished themselves in defending the principles of academic freedom in specific controversies, in fostering academic freedom through advocacy, and in defending or advocating the freedom to teach and learn. Preference will be given to social studies educators, but persons in other fields may also be considered. NCSS membership is not required.

Eligibility:

• Classroom teachers, professionals in other areas of education, students, parents, community groups, and members of other organizations.

• Must have engaged in or be currently engaged in activities that support academic freedom in the face of personal challenge or promote awareness of and support for academic freedom.
• The defense or advocacy of academic freedom must have been related to the teaching of social studies.
• Personal involvement in a particular controversy: the use of controversial issues or materials; defense of the presentation of divergent materials and views; and/or the preparation of materials involving controversy and divergent views.
• Personal involvement in activities that highlight issues surrounding censorship and academic freedom through writings, speeches, or other advocacy.
• The activities of the person considered for the award must be verifiable and must accompany the nomination.
• Nominations may come from classroom teachers, supervisors, principals, state council members, university officials, parents, and community groups.

Sponsor:NEC Foundation
Deadline(s): various

Objectives:
The sponsor makes cash grants to nonprofit organizations and programs with national reach and impact in the application of technology to assist people with disabilities.

Sponsor:National Institute on Aging
Deadline(s): February 1, June 1, October 1, annually

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support for research projects designed to examine age-related changes in reading and language comprehension abilities and to develop interventions that prevent or compensate for declines. NIH seeks research grant applications aimed at the study of selected aspects of speech and reading comprehension as they change with age. General areas of interest include the following:

• the factors and individual differences related to comprehending written and spoken language as well as the demography and epidemiology of age-related changes
• the human factors, biological factors, developmental factors, environmental factors, and the social conditions that interfere with or enhance comprehension, and research applications aimed at applying research findings
• the development of reading comprehension strategies, compensatory strategies, and the most effective approaches to the development and maintenance of literacy in adulthood
• research applications aimed at specific domains including comprehending specific types of information (e.g., medical, legal, insurance) and maintaining professional competence.

• provision of training, resources, and support for scientists to speak to students, the general public, teachers, parents, health care practitioners, the media or other audiences, such as at PTAs, in classrooms, at workshops for teachers, the media, parents or students, etc.
• preparation and/or presentation of media programs on the science of drug abuse and addiction (these may include television, radio, motion pictures (including videotape and videodisc), newspaper articles, magazine articles, books, experiments, computer software, CD-ROMs, Internet sites, or other written, electronic, or audiovisual presentations designed to educate about the biology of drug abuse and addiction)
• preparation of programs in settings designed to educate the public about the biology of drug abuse and addiction (these may be in museums, shopping centers, public buildings, schools, science fairs, or any other suitable place, which is open to all or to a segment of the public)
• development of programs to provide innovative mentorships for students wishing to learn more about science. This activity may be in formal school settings or may be in community settings. The activity may provide for qualified persons who serve as teachers, as resource persons, or as consultants. Such activities might include working with gifted and talented programs or setting university-based programs for high school students with local school systems.

• providing experiences to motivate high school, college, graduate, postgraduate students, and scientists to pursue careers in mental health research
• providing research and related experiences for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other scientists (at any stage of their career), to enhance and broaden their skills in order to contribute significantly to basic and clinical neuroscience, behavioral research, and mental health services, treatment and prevention research
• providing experiences that will enhance more experienced investigators' research, career, and mentoring skills and success, and will significantly contribute to the advancement of research fields relevant to the mission of NIMH.

Examples of educational programs that would be desirable include, but are not limited to, the following:

• seminars, workshops, or short-term courses about research career opportunities designed specifically for students enrolled in graduate school degree programs and/or postdoctoral fellows
• structured short-term research experiences for promising predoctoral students interested in research involving any of the areas covered within the mission of the NIMH, such as neuroscience and behavioral science, clinical and treatment studies, epidemiology and mental health services research, and AIDS
• summer courses or workshops designed to facilitate careers in mental health research for young scientists at the intersection of basic and clinical research
• short-term courses or seminars designed to increase awareness about ethical issues surrounding scientific research
• short-term courses or seminars to address issues of relevance to women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in scientific careers
• structured summer research experiences, workshops or seminars for undergraduate or high school students interested in pursuing research careers in neuroscience or behavioral science; seminars designed to facilitate research experiences among child clinical psychology interns or child psychiatry fellows
• workshops focusing on designing improved or "model" training programs in clinical child psychology
• workshops to identify areas of need in mental health services and/or prevention research and research training, including areas such as managed care, cost-effectiveness, social work, AIDS among the seriously mental ill, and public-academic liaison issues
• workshops to design model training programs to recruit graduate students and post-doctoral trainees into AIDS research.

The mechanism of support for this program announcement is the education project grant (R25). Funds requested under this mechanism are limited to $150,000 per year in direct costs. Requests for lower direct costs, as well as matching funds from the applicant institution, are encouraged. Indirect costs are payable at the rate of eight percent of total direct costs, exclusive of tuition and fees (including any health and insurance fees) and expenditures for equipment. Education Grants may be made for one to five years. The NIMH anticipates making approximately three to five R25 awards each year. Mental Health Education Grants may support a variety of educational activities, including:

• short courses, workshops, or seminars
• structured short-term (less than three months duration) research experience
• projects designed for curriculum development or the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs.

No use of this mechanism to circumvent or supplement existing training mechanisms will be allowed. Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95). Applications kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Office of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7910, Telephone: 301-435-0714, fax: 301-480-0525, Email: grantsinfo@nih.gov. Requests for program information about Mental Health Education Grants may be addressed to the contact person listed above.

Also of interest are clinical and applied investigations that may lead to the development of diagnostic research instruments, treatments, and intervention strategies. Specific areas of interest thus include epidemiology, early identification and diagnosis, genetic studies, brain mechanisms, communication skills, cognitive neuroscience, psychosocial (behavioral) interventions, pharmacological and other medical interventions, and services.

EPIDEMIOLOGY--areas of interest include, but need not be limited to, the following:

• Development of new screening tools for use in a variety of settings
• Research on the expression of the full range of autism spectrum disorders
• Studies on their developmental course
• Studies that characterize the range of expression within families
• Research on co-occurring features
• Studies of risk assessment

EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND DIAGNOSIS--areas of investigation include, but need not be limited to, the following:

• Key diagnostic features associated with various stages of development
• Assessment of comorbid features including hyperactivity, attentional dysfunctions, and obsessive and compulsive symptoms
• Assessment and further differentiation of subtypes of autistic spectrum disorders including Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Rett's Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
• Developmental factors relevant to reliable and valid diagnosis

GENETIC STUDIES--specific areas of needed investigation include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Large-scale linkage studies of affected relative pairs or extended pedigrees to identify chromosomal regions harboring disease susceptibility genes
• Family-based association analysis and other linkage disequilibrium approaches that aim to identify a specific susceptibility gene
• High-resolution mapping and positional cloning studies
• Resolution of locus heterogeneity
• Analysis of gene-environment interactions
• Identification of genes that influence comparable behaviors in mice, through the use of gene targeting and selectively bred, recombinant inbred and transgenic strains
• Regulation at different developmental stages of genes expressed in neural cells believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of autism or autism spectrum disorders
• Characterization of transcription elements (e.g., promotors, enhancers) that regulate genes showing tissue-specific expression patterns in brain regions implicated in autism or autism spectrum disorders
• Studies of the control and regulation of genes of unknown function that are expressed in and isolated from brain regions implicated in autism or autism spectrum disorders

BRAIN MECHANISMS--areas of needed investigation include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies of brain mechanisms underlying the development, regulation, and modulation of behaviors characterizing autism and autism spectrum disorders, particularly those mechanisms involving communication and social interaction
• Studies of brain mechanisms and biological factors underlying autistic regression, or the loss of previously acquired skills
• Studies of brain mechanisms involved in the development of abnormal electroencephalograms and epilepsy and studies to clarify the subtypes of seizures and seizure disorders in autism
• Studies to define the neurobiological basis of neurological abnormalities and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including motor stereotypies, gait abnormalities, akinesias, dyskinesias, obsessive/compulsive traits, and the exacerbation of these symptoms, including the role of neuroimmune/autoimmune factors
• Studies that seek to define basic processing deficits using neuropsychological and cognitive neuroscience techniques
• Studies designed to develop and test interventions directed toward specific processing deficits, thereby potentially providing further confirmation or disconfirmation concerning the nature of core processing deficits and their relationship to overall behavioral functioning and social adaptation
• Studies combining neuropsychological and cognitive neuroscience techniques with structural and functional imaging
• Longitudinal studies to identify structural and functional alterations in neural circuitry occurring with development

COMMUNICATION SKILLS--areas of research may include, but are not limited to:

• Longitudinal, developmental studies of behaviors that are precursors to later communication (e.g., imitation, joint attention, early vocalization) and their emergence in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders
• Sensory, motor and social-cognitive impairments that impact upon interaction and communication
• Predictors of loss of or regression in expressive language abilities
• The nature of severe spoken language deficits when other areas of function, such as written language skills, are relatively preserved
• Interventions designed to remediate communication and related deficits

COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE--areas of investigation may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

• Developmental studies of relevant behaviors during infancy including attention to social and nonsocial stimuli, affective behavior, gaze, vocalization, imitation, initiative, reciprocity, attachment, play, compliance, and self-recognition and their emergence in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders
• Research on the delays and deviations in social behavior and cognition during preschool and middle school, including empathy, receptive social cognitive deficits (i.e., difficulties understanding others), and expressive difficulties
• Studies leading to more sophisticated tests of higher cognitive functioning, especially in social, communicative, reasoning, and problem-solving areas, as well as tests of basic attentional, emotional and cognitive deficits that may underlie these deficits or be precursors to them
• Studies of theory of mind, of unconventional verbal behaviors, and of the sensory-motor factors involved in relevant social cognition
• The development, validation and refinement of interventions designed to address deficits in complex social and cognitive abilities or their developmental precursors

PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS--needs include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies developing new treatments (e.g., behavioral, cognitive-behavioral) and studies validating, refining and comparing approaches to the treatment of autism and autism spectrum disorders, as well as studies that analyze and define the critical features of effective intervention
• Studies that relate characteristics of individuals (or diagnostic subtypes) to treatment outcomes
• Research on relevant contextual factors including physical environments, parent-child and sibling-child relationship factors, and peer-child interactions
• Studies addressing generalization or the transfer of learning from one setting to another

PHARMACOLOGICAL/MEDICAL INTERVENTION--investigation may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

• Studies aimed at developing and testing the efficacy and safety of pharmacological agents that specifically target the core features of autism and autistic spectrum disorders
• Studies of the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and combined treatments for the most common and impairing psychopathology associated with autism (e.g., hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression, self-injury, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms)
• New approaches to treatment that build on advances in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, and other neurobiologic fields
• Focused interventions that test specific theories or hypotheses regarding possible neuropathogenesis
• Studies that address the benefits of combined drug and psychosocial interventions

SERVICES--areas of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies of fiscal, policy, or organizational factors affecting access, availability, quality, use or outcomes of care
• Studies of the effectiveness of interventions delivered in naturalistic settings, especially integrated services that target two or more primary settings (e.g., school, home, community, work, etc.)
• Studies of the impact of family involvement in treatment planning and delivery
• Studies of the cost-effectiveness of various treatments and service delivery models

Eligibility:
Foreign institutions are not eligible for program project (P01) awards. Collecting clinically well-characterized samples of sufficient size may in some instances require or be facilitated by the establishment of international consortia. For example, sufficient power with which to detect susceptibility loci for autism spectrum disorders may be facilitated through international consortia. Thus, full collaborations between U.S. scientists and scientists at foreign institutions are encouraged when scientifically appropriate.

Sponsor:National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Deadline(s):TBA

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support for the development of marine aquaculture in the United States. For purposes of this competition the Great Lakes, and the species in them, are considered marine. Areas of priority include: research, demonstration, regulatory issues, education/outreach, financial support, and regional and issue coordination.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, other non-profits, commercial organizations, state, local and Indian tribal governments and federal agencies.

Sponsor:Department of Education

Deadline(s):TBA
Objectives:
Funding is provided to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based childcare services. Priority will be given to projects that leverage significant local or institutional resources, including in-kind contributions to support the activities, and use a sliding fee scale for childcare services provided by a facility assisted under this grant in order to support a high number of low-income parents pursuing postsecondary education at the institution.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education that have a total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution of higher education for the preceding fiscal year that equals or exceeds $350,000.

Sponsor:Department of Education
Deadline(s):TBA

Objectives:
The sponsor provides funds for the purpose of improving postsecondary education opportunities. The sponsor is particularly interested in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational priorities:

Invitational Priority 1--Projects to make more productive use of resources to improve teaching and learning; and to increase learning productivity--that is, to transform programs and teaching to promote more student learning relative to institutional resources expended.

Invitational Priority 2--Projects to disseminate innovative postsecondary educational programs that have already been locally developed, implemented, and evaluated.

Invitational Priority 3--Projects to support new ways of ensuring equal access to postsecondary education, and to improve rates of retention and program completion, especially for low-income and underrepresented minority students, whose retention and completion rates continue to lag disturbingly behind those of other groups.

Invitational Priority 4--Projects to improve campus climates for learning by creating an environment that is safe, welcoming, and conducive to academic growth for all students.

Invitational Priority 5--Projects to support innovative reforms of undergraduate, graduate, and professional curricula that improve not only what students learn, but how they learn.

Invitational Priority 6--Projects to support the professional development of full- and part-time faculty by assessing and rewarding effective teaching; promoting new and more effective teaching methods; and improving the preparation of graduate students who will be future faculty members.

Invitational Priority 7--Projects to promote innovative school-college partnerships and to improve the preparation of K-12 teachers, in order to enhance students' preparation for, access to, and success in college.

Eligibility:
Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education or combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies.

Sponsor:Bremer (Otto) Foundation
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor provides support to sustain the vitality of rural communities located in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wisconsin. Support is provided in the following areas:

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, such as activities that address the needs of the general community and which increase citizenship participation, including, community education, leadership training, and the development of local citizen organizations.

EDUCATION, such as support for higher education, with community service emphasis for minority students.

HEALTH, including the promotion of individual and community health, environmental quality, and health education; and support for community hospitals, clinics, rural emergency services, and chemical dependency programs sensitive to special populations. (Proposals for medical research and from national health organizations are generally not given priority.)

HUMAN SERVICES, such as programs that address the needs of children, single-parent families, battered women, the elderly, people with disabilities, and individuals affected by poverty.

The sponsor periodically determines certain areas of program emphasis. Currently these are:

PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS, including dismantling the barriers that prevent equal access, in the form of racism and other types of bigotry.

EQUALITY AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT IN YOUTH, including programs that involve youth in decision-making and allow positive interaction with others in the community.

Restrictions:
Eligible applicants are private nonprofit or public tax-exempt organizations located in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, or Wisconsin. Grants are not made to individuals. Priority is given to communities served by Bremer-affiliated banks. Higher education grants are limited to post-secondary institutions in Minnesota. Awards are provided for program development, operating support, capital (including building and equipment), matching or challenge grants, seed money, internships, and technical assistance. Most grants are given for a one to three-year period, although some multi-year grants are awarded.

Requests for annual fund drives, benefit events, camps, economic development, medical research, building endowments other than for the development of community foundations, funds to develop theatrical productions, motion pictures, books, and other artistic or media projects, sporting or recreational activities are discouraged. The sponsor does not fund K-12 education. Application guidelines are available.

Sponsor:Pew Charitable Trusts
Deadline(s): Open

Objectives:
The sponsor's Education program provides support to raise the performance of students at all levels of education, especially their capabilities to learn for understanding and to acquire the literacies they need for productive employment and effective citizenship in an increasingly complex society. Toward this goal, the program funds K-12 and higher education. Higher education faces challenges of cost, quality and connection to the public agenda.

The program's three priorities for grantmaking respond to these challenges by:

• fostering new aspirations for undergraduate student learning, with a focus on improving the incentives for attention to quality that are imbedded in ratings systems, methods of state funding and practices of accreditation, and focus on the design, implementation and dissemination of exemplary practices that result in higher levels of student learning
• supporting colleges and universities in their efforts to become more strategic partners with schools in working toward higher standards, with a focus on aligning the standards for student learning embedded in policies of admissions and course placement more closely with high, performance-based standards in schools
• supporting that nation's higher-education faculty in its efforts to facilitate student learning through a better alignment of the faculty's role with the mission and work of the colleges and universities, with a focus on reform of the requirements of the Ph.D. for those who aspire to be faculty, the policies and practices of faculty employment, and the treatment of teaching as scholarly work.

Grantmaking in K-12 will focus on increasing the quality and quantity of accomplished teaching that goes on in America's classrooms by improving the professional development of teachers, producing high-quality curricular materials and developing leadership and community support for accomplished teaching.

In the area of K-12 Reform, the goal is to encourage the fundamental reforms in the profession of teaching and the work of schools that are needed to enable all students to perform at high levels. Objectives are to sustain and advance the movement toward systemic school reform by generating and sharing information about the progress of reform and about what works; and to reinvent professional development policies and practices so that teachers will have the opportunities for continuous learning that are essential to quality teaching. The sponsor especially welcomes:

• nationally significant initiatives that promise to deepen and broaden professional and public understanding of school reform
• initiatives that promise to increase the demand for high-quality professional development for educators, such as state/district policy changes concerning the criteria for recertification, standards for professional development and/or teacher assignment policies
• initiatives that promise to increase the availability of high-quality professional development, such as expanded teacher networks and/or new modes of providing professional development via technology
• initiatives that generate and disseminate knowledge about the types of professional development that are most effective.

In the area of Higher Education Reform, the goal is to raise the aspirations of both academic leaders and external stakeholders with respect to what they expect undergraduates should learn and what colleges and universities should contribute to this learning. Objectives are to strengthen accountability for student learning; to make assessment of student learning a core feature of campus academic life; and to align high standards for undergraduates with high standards for student learning in K-12. The sponsor especially welcomes:

• initiatives to develop new tools for measuring college quality and to design effective policies that make use of these tools
• initiatives to strengthen the effectiveness of academic peer review of institutions, programs and individual faculty members
• initiatives to admit, transfer, promote and graduate students on the basis of demonstrated mastery of learning outcomes, rather than the accumulation of course credits
• initiatives that illustrate how assessment results can be used to improve the quality of academic programs and to undergird institutional evaluation
• initiatives to develop standards for admission and placement at colleges and universities that are aligned with and reinforce high, performance-based high school graduation standards.

In the category of Special Institutions, the goal is to support institutions with which the sponsor has a special historical relationship. The objective is to respond to the priority needs of selected schools, colleges and universities with which the sponsor has an historic relationship.

Restrictions:
Proposals are accepted year-round and are reviewed on a rolling basis. If a proposal is considered appropriate for board review, it will be slated for the next available opening on a board agenda. The board meets quarterly, generally in March, June, September, and December. Although the sponsor seeks to improve the quality of teaching and learning in all institutions, the sponsor is especially oriented toward schools and colleges that serve high concentrations of disadvantaged students.

In addition, the Education program provides support to institutions with which the sponsor has an historic relationship. Individual school districts, public schools or independent schools, and colleges and universities outside the United States are eligible by invitation only. An organization whose full proposal is turned down by the sponsor must wait a minimum of twelve months before submitting a new proposal.

Although the grant size varies from program to program, the median size in the past year was $400,000. Generally speaking, smaller grants are made in programs that work closely with community-based and direct-service organizations; larger grants are made in programs that work with larger organizations such as research, academic and health institutions. Indirect costs are allowed.

Requests will not be considered for: financial aid, fellowships, individual study or travel grants; summer programs, except as a component of a year-round program; endowments; or capital projects, unless invited by the sponsor. Initial application should be in the form of a brief letter of inquiry, for which guidelines are available. If the sponsor determines that the proposed activity falls within the goals and objectives of t