[NASA Helio E/PO] News and Announcements 2011_04_05

1. NASA Research Announcement for Competitive Program for Informal Education Institutions (Proposal Due June 29)
2. Update on Framework for Developing New National Science Education Standards (Questions due April 15)
3. Scientists in Education and Public Outreach Interviews
4. 2011 SACNAS Conference (Oct. 27-30)
5. EPOESS Selections Announced
6. Education Public Outreach Specialist – Houston – Position Opening
7. Education Public Outreach Specialist – Goddard – Position Opening
8. Seeking Peer Reviewers for NASA Office of Education

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1. NASA Research Announcement for Competitive Program for Informal Education Institutions (Proposal Due June 29)

The 2011 NASA Research Announcement: Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums Plus Opportunities for NASA Visitor Centers and Other Informal Education Institutions (CP4SMP+), Announcement Number NNH11ZHA004N, has been released. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the NASA proposal data system NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

Proposers may request a grant or cooperative agreement to support NASA-themed science, technology, engineering or mathematics informal education, including exhibits, within certain congressionally directed topics, including Earth science. This is a competitive, high-quality, national program to recruit NASA’s flagship investment in the Office of Education’s Outcome Goal 3: Build strategic partnerships and linkages between STEM formal and informal education providers that promote STEM literacy and awareness of NASA’s mission. Eligible informational education institutions do not need to have the words “museum, “ “science,” or “planetarium” in their official name. To view the entire solicitation, visit http://bit.ly/fPm8ZK.

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2. Update on Framework for Developing New National Science Education Standards (Questions Due April 15)

The National Academy of Sciences Board on Science Education has developed the conceptual framework for K-12 science education standards (many members in the community commented on the draft framework). The revised Framework report is undergoing a confidential external review by a group of independent experts selected by the National Research Council. At this point, they anticipate releasing the final framework to the public sometime in late spring 2011 (but no official date has been set).

To supplement the final report, they are developing an initial set of frequently asked questions prior to release. They have asked the SMD E/PO Community to share with them any questions about the report they might have. If you have questions you would like included, please submit them by April 15: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9LSL37K. To view the existing FAQ, visit http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Standards_Framework_FAQs.html.

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3. Scientists in Education and Public Outreach Interviews

A series of interviews has been posted on the SMD E/PO website featuring NASA scientists who are involved in education and public outreach. These interviews also contain links for scientists interested in becoming more involved in NASA education and public outreach. To read the interviews, visit http://sepof.ssl.berkeley.edu/node/1870.

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4. 2011 SACNAS Conference (Oct. 27-30)

The 2011 SACNAS conference will be held at the San Jose Convention Center, Oct. 27-30. SACNAS is a society of scientists dedicated to advancing Hispanic/Chicanos and Native Americans in science (http://sacnas.org). NASA Ames Research Center has been a strong supporter of SACNAS in the past, and plans to continue their support for the 2011 conference. If you are attending SACNAS and are interested in participating in the NASA exhibit, please contact Winnie Humberson ([email protected]). Participants are responsible for their own travel and shipping costs.

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5. EPOESS Selections Announced

The 2010 EPOESS selections are now available in NSPIRES. Congratulations to the selected teams! The link in NSPIRES can be found at:
https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=ini…

Or you can download the PDF directly:
https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument?cmdocumentid…
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6. Education Public Outreach Specialist – Houston – Position Opening
Universities Space Research Association (USRA) a large non-profit space research university consortium is seeking an experienced Education and Public Outreach Specialist, to work in our Houston, Texas office. As a part of the Education Public Outreach Program (EPO) team, the successful candidate will work closely with scientists, the NASA education community, the planetary science education community, formal and informal educators, parents, children, and the general public.

The ideal candidate will be involved in and lead numerous programs and projects, including developing virtual and face-to-face communities of practice, delivering professional development in Earth and planetary science education for education specialists, K-12 and higher-education faculty, and scientists, and developing products for classrooms, museums, and after-school programs, and conducting programs for the general public. The successful candidate will have demonstrated abilities to lead programs with minimal supervision.
Requirements:
• Demonstrable success in developing, growing, and maintaining effective communities of practice and reaching new audiences.
• High degree of communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrable skill in communicating through new media / social media.
• High degree of organizational skills, proficiency in project management skills.
• High degree of professionalism and the ability to work with all levels of management.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office suite, web-based conferencing, and educational tools.
Education and Experience:
• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Earth or planetary science.
• A minimum of five years of experience in leading either formal or informal education projects and experience in delivering effective programs.

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, a statement of educational interests and description of relevant experiences not to exceed three pages, and a list of three references to [email protected]. Application materials may also be mailed to: USRA, 3600 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, Attn: Jeanette Gardner, HR Manager.

The Universities Space Research Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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7. Education Public Outreach Specialist – Goddard – Position Opening
Universities Space Research Association (USRA) a large non-profit space research university consortium is seeking an Education and Public Outreach Specialist, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. As a part of the Education Public Outreach Program (EPO) team, the selected applicant will work closely with scientists, the NASA education community, formal and informal educators, parents, children, and the general public.

The ideal candidate will be involved in numerous programs and projects, including leading face-to-face, distance-learning based Earth and planetary science workshops for K-12 and higher-education faculty, and developing products for formal (e.g., classroom) and informal education (e.g., museums, planetariums, national parks, libraries) learning environments. Duties will also include building and supporting learning communities, as well as communicating science to, and conducting programs for the general public. The successful candidate will have demonstrated abilities to lead programs with minimal supervision, and to obtain financial support of programs through federal and/or non-federal grant proposal opportunities.
Requirements:
• High degree of communication (written and verbal), interpersonal, organizational, and project management skills.
• High degree of professionalism and the ability to work with all levels of management.
• Ability to mentor less experienced EPO specialists.
• Experienced with education and outreach programs.
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office suite, web-based conferencing, and educational tools
Education and Experience:
• A Master’s degree in Earth or planetary science required and a degree in an informal educational field is preferred.
• A minimum of five years of experience in formal or informal education and outreach.

Applicants should send a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, a statement of educational interests and description of relevant experiences not to exceed three pages, and a list of three references to [email protected]. Application materials may also be mailed to: USRA, 3600 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058, Attn: Jeanette Gardner, HR Manager.
The Universities Space Research Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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8. Seeking Peer Reviewers for NASA Office of Education
NOTE: This email is for information gathering purposes. Willingness to participate in the MUREP Small Projects review does not guarantee a proposal will be assigned. The number of available qualified reviewers may exceed the number of reviewers needed.

NASA Research and Education Support Services (NRESS) has an immediate need for persons to evaluate proposals submitted in response to the announcement entitled, “MUREP (Minority University Research and Education Program) Small Projects – Transformational Performance in STEM Using Innovative Solutions”. This program element (Appendix C) was announced under the NASA Office of Education Announcement Number NNH11ZHA002C, “Education Opportunities in NASA STEM 2011 (EONS 2011)” released January 17, 2011. Specifically, NASA is seeking persons with expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas: innovative and scalable program design, partnerships, grant management and/or federal education proposal review and persons with various backgrounds and professional affiliation including college and university educators, administrators, researchers and evaluators, social entrepreneurs, strategy consultants, grant makers and managers, and other with education expertise.

The Transformational Performance in STEM Using Innovative Solutions project seeks proposals to support Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that demonstrate the potential to increase the number of minority undergraduates in STEM education areas relevant to NASA and/or the development of highly skilled teachers of mathematics and science.

In the evaluation, emphasis will be on collaborations with MSIs that have a history of producing graduates in the fields that NASA and the aerospace community need to achieve their missions, as well as institutions with a proven track record of producing highly qualified mathematics and science teachers. Selected proposals shall implement innovative teaching, learning, recruitment and retention strategies based on educational research and best practices to expand their effectiveness in recruiting, retaining, and graduating an increased number of minorities at the baccalaureate level in fields of study needed by NASA. Institutions are encouraged to include sub-awards in their proposals for partnering institutions that will be implementing these best practices. Proposed work must be grounded in education research and/or best practices, and incorporate formative, summative, and other evaluations, as appropriate. The outcomes of the proposal shall support NASA education reporting metrics for higher education. These target students shall be enrolled at an accredited college or university, with a declared major in STEM, or pre-service teachers.

Detailed information regarding proposal requirements and evaluation criteria are contained in the solicitation that can be viewed in NASA’s master proposal data base system, NASA’s Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES). NSPIRES can be accessed at http://nspires.nasaprs.com, click on Solicitations to view the announcement under Education Opportunities in NASA STEM (EONS) to determine your interest in serving as an MUREP Small Projects (MSP) peer reviewer. The online review period is scheduled for April 20 – May 4, 2011. It is anticipated that reviewers will be asked to review up to three proposals approximately 30 pages in length. Reviews must be submitted electronically via NSPIRES. Non-civil servants will receive an honorarium of $100 per proposal fully reviewed and submitted online by the close of the review period.

If you determine that you would like to be a reviewer, please respond by email to [email protected] by COB April 11, 2011. Be sure to include contact information, resume/vita and a summary of your experience. For consideration as a reviewer, you must have an account in NSPIRES. If you do not have an account, please follow the instructions on the NSPIRES website ( http://nspires.nasaprs.com).

If you have questions about this process, goals of the solicitation or NASA requirements, please contact Theresa Martinez, MUREP Small Projects Project Manager, Kennedy Space Center, [email protected].

For questions regarding NSPIRES such as viewing the announcement or registering as a potential reviewer, please contact Carolyn Paxton, NRESS Peer Review Coordinator, [email protected], (202) 479-9030, ext. 214.