ENDEAVOR SCIENCE TEACHER CERTIFICATE PROGRAM (ESTCP) | Apply Online

Endeavor Science Teacher Certificate Program (ESTCP) FAQs

1) What is the Endeavor Science Teacher Certificate Program (ESTCP) funding opportunity?

ESTCP is a NASA Office of Education funding opportunity released as Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) No. NNH08ZNE003C. NASA intends to select an organization (or a consortium) to work with NASA to develop, pilot, and administer a national-level teacher preparation program focused on strengthening science and mathematics teaching using NASA-unique content and experiences.

2) What is the main purpose of this solicitation?

The purpose is to select an organization (or consortium) to build the program structure, run pilot phases, and manage ongoing implementation of a one-year fellowship model that provides educational and technical experiences designed to lead to teacher certification. NASA’s role includes technical coordination and collaboration.

3) What type of award will NASA make under this opportunity?

NASA anticipated making a single award, and the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.

4) What does it mean that this will be a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates NASA expects to have substantial involvement in the project beyond providing funds. In this opportunity, that involvement is described as NASA providing technical coordination and collaboration while the awardee operates the program.

5) How many awards does NASA expect to make?

NASA anticipated making one award under this announcement.

6) What is the estimated funding amount?

The estimated funding level is approximately $500,000 per year.

7) What is the period of performance and maximum potential total funding?

The period of performance is not to exceed five years. Based on the estimate of about $500,000 per year, the total potential support could be roughly up to $2.5 million over the full term, depending on yearly funding and continued performance.

8) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated for this opportunity.

9) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based entities, including:

• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)) that serve higher education students

10) Are partnerships or consortia allowed?

Yes. NASA explicitly encourages partnerships and consortia among institutions and organizations serving students and teachers.

11) Can organizations outside the United States apply?

No. Proposals from entities outside the United States are not considered.

12) What kind of program is expected to be developed and administered?

The funded organization is expected to develop, pilot, and administer a national-level teacher preparation program. The program centers on a one-year fellowship model offering participating pre-service and/or in-service teachers educational and technical experiences intended to lead to teacher certification.

13) Who are the intended participants in the fellowship model?

The fellowship model is intended for participating pre-service and/or in-service teachers.

14) What does “NASA-unique content and experiences” mean in this context?

The program is intended to connect teacher certification pathways with NASA-related STEM content. The curriculum and training experiences are expected to be grounded in science and mathematics topics where NASA has distinctive expertise, resources, or mission-driven material.

15) What responsibilities would the funded organization have?

In practice, the funded organization would be responsible for building the program structure, conducting pilot phases, and managing ongoing implementation and administration of the program.

16) What role would NASA have during the project?

NASA would provide technical coordination and collaboration, consistent with the cooperative agreement approach.

17) What is the legal authority for this funding opportunity?

The underlying authorization for funding is from the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund (42 U.S.C. 2467a). The solicitation is issued under Space Act authority (42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(5)).

18) How must applications be submitted?

The application process is electronic-only. Hard copy proposals are not accepted.

19) What systems can be used to submit an application?

Submissions must be made through NASA’s NSPIRES system or through Grants.gov. Applicants are discouraged from submitting the same proposal in both systems.

20) If submitting through Grants.gov, is NSPIRES registration still required?

Yes. Any organization intending to apply must be registered in NSPIRES even if it plans to submit through Grants.gov.

21) If submitting through Grants.gov, what registrations are required?

Organizations submitting through Grants.gov must register in Grants.gov, and they must also be registered in NSPIRES.

22) Who handles the registration actions for the applicant organization?

Registration actions are handled through the institution’s Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBPOC) as listed in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), which NASA references as the mechanism for verifying institutional points of contact for registrations.

23) Are hard copy proposals accepted?

No. Hard copy proposals are not accepted.

24) What was the timeline for this opportunity?

The 2008 timeline included:

• Anticipated posting date: around April 16, 2008
• Notices of intent requested by: May 9, 2008
• Full proposals due: June 17, 2008

25) Is a notice of intent required?

The opportunity requested notices of intent by May 9, 2008.

26) What is the issuing agency and where is the opportunity administered from?

NASA Headquarters is the issuing agency.

27) What is the funding category and activity category listed for this opportunity?

The opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding. The activity category is science and technology/research and development.

28) Where could applicants find the full solicitation?

The full solicitation was made available through the NASA Research Opportunities homepage via NSPIRES.

29) Who is listed as a contact for access issues?

For access issues, the announcement lists a NASA Office of Education contact: Dr. Bernice Alston at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

30) Where should solicitation-specific questions be directed?

The announcement indicates that solicitation-specific questions should be directed through the channels indicated in the full announcement.