Appendix A

Call for Applications and Nominations for Fellows

The mission of the NISE is to help ensure that U.S. students leave the educational system with an ability to make informed decisions about science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) issues they will encounter in daily life. The NISE conducts and synthesizes research on education in SMET from kindergarten to graduate school. It undertakes sustained study of the most critical issues in SMET education today, such as school processes that can ensure equity of outcomes and policies that would improve the development of a modern technical workforce.

In July 1995, the NISE was established at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has a five-year cooperative agreement with the Education and Human Resources Directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The National Center for Improving Science Education (NCISE) in Washington, DC, is a partner with UW–Madison in this endeavor. The director of the NISE is Andrew Porter, Professor of Educational Psychology. The associate directors are Barrett Caldwell, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Library and Information Studies, and Robert Mathieu, Professor of Astronomy.

The NISE invites applications and nominations for Fellows to join us in pursuing our mission. The work of the NISE falls into the programs and projects listed below.

Research Programs

• Systemic Reform: Policy and Evaluation
• Professional Development
• College Level One
• Secondary Teacher Education Project
• Scientists and Educators Collaborating in Preservice Teacher Preparation
• Graduate Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education
• National Partnership in Advanced Computational Infrastructure Supercomputer Project

Dissemination Programs

• Interacting with Professional Audiences
• Communicating with Mass Audiences
  -The Why Files
  -The Why Files Research

More detailed information about the objectives and activities of the NISE can be found in the NISE Overview.

The NISE recruits Fellows from a variety of stakeholder groups, including K–12 teachers and higher education faculty in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education, as well as industry, private foundations, the media, and government. NISE Fellows work on projects related either to NISE teams or, in some cases, to the Institute as a whole. The breadth and diversity of the NISE Fellows Program enhance the quality of discourse and maximize the impact of NISE work.

Individuals wishing to apply for an NISE Fellowship are asked to submit the following three items:

1. a letter indicating the NISE team or teams you wish to work with, or what other work you would like to pursue that fits the NISE mission, what you would hope to accomplish, and a brief discussion of your interests and background in this area,
2. a brief budget of salary and expenses required for the proposed work, and
3. a resume indicating work experience and publication record and the contact information for at least two references.

If you are nominating someone, include contact information for that individual and a brief summary of what you think he or she can contribute to the NISE effort.

Applications are reviewed quarterly by the NISE and the National Science Foundation. Selection criteria include qualifications of the candidate, match with the NISE mission, significance of the proposed work, the ability to work collaboratively, and the ability to produce valuable work in a timely fashion.

All application materials should be send to:

Dr. Paula A. White
National Institute for Science Education
University of Wisconsin–Madison
1025 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53706