Mentor-Connect offers three types of no-cost mentoring to community colleges seeking to improve technician and related STEM education through projects funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education Program (NSF ATE).
helps colleges develop grant proposals for the Small Grants for Institutions New to ATE track. (Colleges are considered new to ATE if they have not received ATE funding in the past seven years.)
supports revision of proposals that were declined the first time a proposal was submitted in the following tracts:
helps colleges that received funding in the Small Grants for Institutions New to ATE track to develop larger ATE Project proposals. (Such proposals may advance the work of the previous project or pursue new goals for improving STEM education.)
Provides double support for prospective grantees seeking ATE grant funding. With co-mentoring, a subject-matter-expert (SME) Mentor from an ATE Center and a grant development expert Mentor from Mentor-Connect assist prospective grantees. An application submitted through Mentor-Connect is required to get started working on any type of ATE grant.
Mentor-Connect invites applicants from community and technical colleges that are interested in preparing a competitive NSF proposal in the "Small Grants for Institutions New to ATE" funding track. See NSF ATE Program Solicitation for details and funding deadlines. Only one application per college is allowed in response to this Call for Applications.
In addition to the "New-to-ATE" mentoring opportunity, Mentor-Connect also offers "Second-Chance" and "Moving-Up" mentoring to help advance technician education at no-cost to participating colleges. Read below to see if your institution or 2-year community college may qualify for one of these opportunities.