With a focus on two-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program supports the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions (grades 7-12, IHEs), industry, and economic development agencies to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians. It is strongly recommended that projects be faculty-led and required that courses and programs are credit-bearing, although materials developed may also be used for incumbent worker education. Materials may also be adapted and implemented as credit-bearing courses. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathway development for both students and incumbent workers; and other activities including applied research projects that advance the knowledge base related to technician education.
The ATE program encourages partnerships with other entities that may impact technician education. For example, with
- the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) (http://www.nist.gov/mep/index.cfm) as applicable to support technician education programs and the industries they serve; and
- Manufacturing USA Institutes (https://manufacturing.gov/) addressing workforce development issues.
The ATE program encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions as well as other institutions that support the recruitment, retention, and completion (certificate, degree, program) of the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer, which includes underrepresented and underserved communities, in STEM technician education programs that award associate degrees.
Deadlines: October 3, 2024
Fields of technology supported by the ATE program include, but are not limited to, advanced manufacturing technologies, agricultural and bio- technologies, energy and environmental technologies, engineering technologies, information technologies, micro- and nano-technologies, security technologies, geospatial technologies, autonomous technologies, as well as applied research on technician education that informs all supported areas. It is expected that emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum information sciences will be supported as industry defines their needs for skilled technical workers in these areas. The ATE program is interested in projects addressing issues in: 1) rural technician education; 2) projects that broaden the participation of the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer in the entry-level technical workforce including strategies to recruit veterans into technician education programs; 3) projects that focus on recruiting, retaining and completing students with disabilities into STEM technician education programs; and 4) projects that support emerging industry needs for skilled technical workers, for example, industry needs for technicians with AI knowledge and skills. The ATE program does not support projects that focus on students who will become health, veterinary, or medical technicians.
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
- For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.
- State and Local Governments
- Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. ยงยง 5130-5131.
The ATE program focuses on IHEs that award two-year degrees in advanced technology fields and requires these IHEs and their faculty to have significant leadership roles on all projects. When a four-year IHE or other types of organizations submit as the fiscal lead, then two-year IHE faculty must be identified as Co-PIs. When a secondary institution or school district develops a proposal, community college faculty must be identified as Co-PIs.
Consortium (Track-3) PIs must not hold a leadership role in an active ATE Center.
Estimated Number of Awards: 45 to 80
NSF anticipates that approximately $74.0 million will be available for new and continuing awards in this program in FY2025. In FY 2025, the ATE program expects to fund new awards totaling $69,000,000 million.
Funding in all years is subject to the availability of funds. The program expects to make 45-80 new awards per year. Grants may be awarded in a wide variety of sizes and durations, as summarized below. The categories below are expected to encompass most of the activities supported through the ATE program; however, additional activities may be proposed after consultation with an ATE program officer under the heading of a special project. These activities would inform the education of the skilled technical workforce (STW).The actual number of awards and the award sizes are subject to the availability of funds and the quality of proposals received.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $74,000,000
It is anticipated that this funding amount will be available for new and continuing awards in this program in FY2025. Funding in all years is subject to the availability of funds.