NIST Announces Grants for the Development of Standards-related Educational Materials

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)'s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced that it will offer financial support to institutions developing teaching materials and curricula that are focused on the important role played by technical standards in the global economy. The funds, which are expected to range from $25,000 to $100,000 per year for up to a two-year period, may be used to develop materials aimed at either undergraduate or graduate students.

Under the new program, qualifying institutions will work with the NIST Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program. Participants will design curricula form undergraduate and graduate courses that effectively introduce students to standardization. Project results will be shared both with members of the curriculum development community, including educators, as well as with the general public.

The selection of grant recipients is expected to be completed by April 2013. However, the start date for the awards will be no earlier than July 1, 2013.

A full listing of eligibility requirements and proposal evaluation criteria, along with other important information, is available here on the Grants.gov website. All paper applications must be received by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, March 15, 2013; online applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST.