Funding, Grants & Awards
Universities Share $3.2 Million To Improve STEM Teaching Skills
A consortium of 22 colleges and universities will
share a
$3.2-million grant over the next two years to improve their instruction
in science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.
The Great
Lakes Education Guaranty Corp. has given the grant
to the Center for the Integration of
Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), a
National Science Foundation program whose goal is to improve STEM
learning in
higher education and ultimately increase the number and diversity of
college
students interested in STEM subjects.
CIRTL was founded in 2006 with an
original group of six
universities involved in teaching and mentoring graduate students to
improve
their own teaching skills. In 2012, that founding group was expanded to
22
colleges and universities, representing a diverse group of both public
and
private, large and small institutions.
As an example of the kinds of projects individual
institutions
will be involved in, the Cornell
University CIRTL will receive $130,000 to
create a formal graduate and postdoctoral certificate program.
Participants
will work on their teaching and mentoring skills and will be able to
apply for
smaller-sized grants to develop learning community activities to further
develop those skills.
"We will create opportunities for STEM graduate
students and
postdoctoral scholars to earn certificates demonstrating engagement with
evidence-based teaching practices and commitment to fostering inclusive
environments
in their laboratories and classrooms," said Barbara A. Knuth, senior
vice
provost and dean of the Cornell University Graduate School.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.
