Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) -- includes Social & Behavioral Sciences

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU Sites must have a well-defined common focus that enables a cohort experience for students. These projects may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme.

Amount: Varies

Due: October 22, 2009

REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department, or on interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. A partnership with the Department of Defense supports REU Sites in DoD-relevant research areas.

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Interpreting America's Historic Places: Planning Grants

Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects may interpret a single historic site or house, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographical region.

Amount: $400,000

Due: August 26, 2009

Planning grants are available for those projects that may need further development before applying for implementation. This planning can include the identification and refinement of the project’s main humanities ideas and questions, consultation with scholars in order to strengthen the humanities content, preliminary audience evaluation, preliminary design of the proposed interpretive formats, beta testing of digital formats, development of complementary programming, research at archives or sites whose resources might be used, or the drafting of interpretive materials.

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Interpreting America's Historic Places: Implementation Grants

Interpreting America’s Historic Places grants support public humanities projects that exploit the evocative power of historic places to explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects may interpret a single historic site or house, a series of sites, an entire neighborhood, a town or community, or a larger geographical region.

Amount: $400,000

Due: August 26, 2009

Implementation grants support the final preparation of a project for presentation to the public. Applicants must submit a full walkthrough for an exhibition, or a prototype or storyboard for a digital project, that demonstrates a solid command of the humanities ideas and scholarship that relate to the subject.

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Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) Guidance Tools Project (Criminal Justice)

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a cooperative agreement for a nine month project period. Work under this agreement will result in a “tool kit” to aid those charged with assessing the quality of lesson plans to include performance objectives, content delivery strategies, training activities, and supplemental materials. The tool kit will be framed around the Instructional Theory Into Practice model.

Amount: To be determined by the applicant

Due: July 24, 2009

The tool kit will provide a brief history of the model, a description of the relevant research, a glossary, and a list of relevant references and websites. It is anticipated that the tool kit will be used by training staff from; (1)federal, state, and local corrections agencies, (2)all agency levels, and (3)agencies of all sizes and levels of funding. Consequently, the tool kit must provide sufficient rational and background information where needed, be easily understood, and convenient to use. Since many NIC Corrections Program Specialists (CPS) are responsible for coordinating and, in some cases, developing and delivering training, the tool kit will be developed and tested using input and feedback from NIC staff. Ultimately the tool kit will allow users to develop lesson plans and review, assess, and provide feedback on lesson plans and training materials prepared by others. It must be easy to use by training coordinators.

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Enduring Questions: Pilot Course Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announces the availability of the Enduring Questions grant program supports a faculty member’s development of a new course that will foster intellectual community through the study of an enduring question. This course will encourage undergraduate students and a teacher to grapple with a fundamental question addressed by the humanities, and to join together in a deep and sustained program of reading in order to encounter influential thinkers over the centuries and into the present day.

Amount: $25,000

Due: September 15, 2009

An Enduring Questions grant supports the development of a new undergraduate humanities course that must be taught at least twice during the grant period. The grant supports the work of a faculty member in designing, preparing, and assessing the course. It may also be used for ancillary activities that enhance faculty-student intellectual community, such as visits to museums and artistic or cultural events. An Enduring Questions course may be taught by a faculty member from any department or discipline in the humanities or by a faculty member outside the humanities (e.g., astronomy, biology, economics, law, mathematics, medicine, psychology), so long as humanities sources are central to the course.

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