NSF’S UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Undergraduate education is central to the mission of the National Science Foundation and the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) administers a number of programs that support undergraduate education. There are four crosscutting themes that may be integrated into projects funded through DUE’s seven programs: preparation of future teachers, integration of technology, diversity, and faculty development. The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program, the Division’s largest program, seeks to improve the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for all students and targets activities affecting course content, curricula, and educational practices. A brief description of each of the three tracks in the CCLI program (Educational Material Development, Adaptation and Implementation, and National Dissemination) will be given, along with examples of funded geoscience projects. Recent changes in the program will be highlighted. An overview of other undergraduate education and research programs at NSF will also be provided.