Sign in Subscribe
Teachers

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Receives $500,000 National Science Foundation Award to Prepare and Retain STEM Teachers

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to launch a three-year project aimed at preparing and retaining middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. The project, titled "RESS in Microelectronics and Artificial Intelligence to Empower STEM Teachers," will provide research experiences for STEM teachers in microelectronics and artificial intelligence, with a focus on empowering them to translate these experiences into classroom-ready lessons.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received a $500,000 NSF award to support a three-year project aimed at preparing and retaining STEM teachers.
  • The project will provide research experiences for 24 prospective and practicing teachers from Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia over three years.
  • The project will engage teachers in hands-on research in emerging fields like microelectronics and artificial intelligence, and will provide academic-year support, including professional development and classroom visits.
  • The project will include partnerships with Chattanooga State Community College, Hamilton County Schools, Bradley County Schools, and Walker County Schools.
  • The project is funded by the NSF's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and is also supported by funds from Micron Technology, Inc.
  • The project aims to address the national need for highly qualified STEM teachers to meet critical shortages, and will provide teachers with authentic research experiences with university faculty.
  • The project will track outcomes through pre- and post-surveys of teachers and students, and will share results through publications, conference presentations, and a project website.
  • The project will strengthen regional teacher capacity in emerging technologies, broaden student participation in microelectronics and AI, and deepen UTC's collaborations with schools and community partners.

Statistics:

  • $500,000: The amount of the NSF award received by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
  • 24: The number of prospective and practicing teachers who will participate in the project over three years.
  • 3 years: The duration of the project.
  • 6 weeks: The length of the on-campus research experience for teachers.
  • Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia: The regions where the project will engage teachers.
  • 10/1: The start date of the award period.
  • Micron Technology, Inc.: The company providing funding support for the project.
  • Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program: The NSF program funding the project.
  • Utah program: The project's focus on Utah rather than the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is incorrect - the correct location is Chattanooga in the state of Tennessee.

Sources:

  • News release by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
  • The State of Tennessee has issued the following news release.
  • Dr. Raga Ahmed, UC Foundation associate professor of electrical engineering in the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Read more