The President’s State of the Union address and the recent announcement of the “Computer Science for all,” initiative underscored the National importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and the critical role that Computer Science (CS) plays in the Nation’s schools and economy. To support this effort, the President’s budget for FY 2017 proposes over $7 billion for STEM and CS education activities. The FY 2017 budget builds upon the Administration’s commitment to increasing the Nation’s STEM competency. For example, the Department of Education (the Department) provides several opportunities for the STEM community to compete for funding through the Department’s discretionary grant programs. For more information on the FY17 Federal STEM budget, please see the White House Fact Sheet on STEM.
We are excited about the continued emphasis on STEM in the FY 2017 budget, but we also want to share opportunities that exist in FY 2016 to support STEM education efforts. Over the course of 2016, we invite the STEM community to apply to the Office of Innovation & Improvement’s (OII) FY 2016 discretionary grant competitions. Overall, OII anticipates making targeted investments of over $1 billion in FY 2016 and there are numerous opportunities for members of the STEM community to compete for program support for efforts that align with the education goals of the individual programs, even if “STEM” or “CS” is not explicitly named or listed as competitive priorities.
For example, if you are considering developing a program that:
- Provides support to STEM or CS educators you may apply to programs such as Investing in Innovation (i3), and Teacher Quality Partnerships (TQP).
- Creates STEM schools, CS academies or dual-enrollment programs, you can explore opportunities in the Investing in Innovation (i3), and Charter Schools Program (CSP).
- Place-based STEM education, the Promise Neighborhood program offers exciting funding opportunities.
These are just a few illustrative examples for how discretionary grant competitions from OII could help support your efforts in STEM in FY 2016.
To learn more about OII programs that will be offering competitions in FY 2016, and for additional information for grant programs across the Department, be sure to check out the Department’s Forecast for Funding Opportunities.
If you would like to be to be added to our listserv so you are included on future updates about STEM education, please reach out to the STEM Office at STEM@ed.gov with your name, organization and email address.
