CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, PHASE II

Grant: Climate Change Education Partnership Program, Phase II (CEEP-II)
Agency: National Science Foundation
Division: Directorate for Education and Human Resources; Directorate for Geosciences; and Directorate for Biological Sciences
Deadline: A required letter of intent was due January 24, 2012, with the full proposal deadline on March 21, 2012.

Description: The Climate Change Education Partnership program (CEEP) is a major interdisciplinary research and development effort designed to promote a deeper understanding of and engagement with climate system science and the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems. The vision of this program is a scientifically literate society that can effectively weigh the evidence regarding global climate change as it confronts the challenges ahead, while developing the innovative science and technology workforce to advance our knowledge of human-climate interactions and develop solutions for a sustainable, prosperous future.

To achieve these goals the CEEP program works to improve both the quality and effectiveness of learning materials, pedagogies and educator preparation for climate education, and to increase access and exposure to effective resources through dissemination and scale-up of proven models and changes in education policies. Additionally this program addresses the need for new educational models and strategies for successfully communicating with a variety of learners about complex, interdisciplinary and societally-relevant topics like climate science, which are grounded in research on how people learn and tested in authentic settings.

Currently, the NSF is accepting applications for Phase II partnerships. In this round, proposals may incorporate content related to climate change mitigation and adaption, but the emphasis should be on improving public understanding of the fundamental processes of the climate system, the role of human systems in climate change, and the potential impacts and implications of climate change for human systems.

Each proposal must be submitted within two types: regional partnerships, including geographic regions that share similar climate impacts; and thematic partnerships, including those sharing major climate impact themes.

CCEP-II awardees will receive up to five years of funding to support full-scale implementation of mature and robust strategic plans already developed by regional or thematic partnerships to improve climate change education activities at a significant scale and meet the goals of the CCE program.

A greater description of each project type, foundational activities, key features of partnerships and required program activities can be found in the program description section of this program notice.

Fit for public broadcasting: Stations are strongly encouraged to seek out partnerships in this application. Each CCEP application is required to include collaboration between three representatives: climate scientists, experts in the field, and practitioners from within formal or informal education venues, which may include public broadcasting stations. The National Science Foundation has a long history of awarding grants to stations for their educational outreach and programming efforts.

Past Awardees Include:

• In 2011, the WGBH Educational Foundation, in partnership with Pacific Resources for Education and Learning and the New Pacific Islands Climate Change Education Partnership received $198,539 to produce a digital library collection of purpose-built media resources presenting indigenous perspectives on climate change and related threats to the eco-system throughout the Pacific Island region. [Read the Abstract]

Eligibility: A full list of eligibility categories can be found in the Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter I, Section E. All collaborative proposals must be submitted as a single submission that includes sub-award support for all other partner organizations that are requesting funding. Additionally, a Lead institution may only submit one CCEP-II proposal; however institutions may be named as a non-Lead partner on multiple proposals.

Prior CCEP-I funding is not an eligibility requirement, but all proposed Phase II Partnerships that did not have CCEP-I funding must demonstrate that they meet the required criteria and have undertaken activities that address the goals and objectives described in the CCEP-I program solicitation.

Anticipated funding: The NSF anticipates granting $10 million over five to seven awards.

How to apply: A letter of intent is required as part of the application and must be officially submitted through the NSF FastLane system by January 24, 2012. Applicants may opt to submit full proposals electronically via Grants.gov or NSF FastLane. Detailed instructions for submitting required documents can be found within this program notice, Chapter V, Section A.

Grants.gov requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advanced of the grant deadline.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website
Search for past awards
Frequently asked questions