National Science Foundation/Big Sky Institute
GK-12 Program
2008 Application Information:
What is a GK-12 Science and Society Fellow? Fellows are highly qualified Montana State University (MSU) graduate students in ecology, earth, environmental sciences and other related fields with active research projects in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Fellows are funded to develop a year-long collaboration with a middle or high school teacher. The goals of the collaboration are to 1) increase the skills of the Fellow in communicating their research outside of an academic setting; 2) enhance teachers’ access and use of inquiry-based science in the classroom; and 3) advance the understanding of the use of science for decision making in natural area management on the part of both Fellows and teachers.
What is the Fellow’s stipend? The Fellow’s stipend is $30,000 for a 12-month tenure starting July 1, 2008. NSF additionally provides a cost-of-education allowance for tuition, standard fees, and health insurance of $10,500 per student per 12-month tenure. If this allowance is not fully required, then it may be used to support other approved GK-12 student-related activities.
Who should apply? Full-time MSU graduate students in ecology, earth, and environmental sciences and related fields who have initiated their research and completed the majority of their coursework are ideal candidates. To be successful in this program, graduate students should have a strong interest in honing their abilities to communicate their research effectively to the public, including teachers, students, and community members. Fellows should have enough flexibility in their on-campus commitments to be able to work in the teacher’s classroom a minimum of 10 hours per week. Ideally, the Fellow’s faculty advisor should be supportive of the Fellow’s commitment to the program. Finally, our funding from NSF targets Fellows with research relevant to broadly defined environmental issues in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, such as hydrology, plant invasions, snow science and climate change. NSF requires that Fellows must be citizens, nationals or permanent residents of the United States.
What are my obligations as a Fellow? Fellows are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week with the designated K-12 teacher partner and students and approximately 5 more hours per week in preparation and in on-campus seminars with the other Fellows. In addition, the Fellow is expected to devote three weeks of the summer of 2008 in training workshops and in joint research activities with their teacher partner. The timing of the joint research would be scheduled to meet the needs of the Fellow and teacher. Finally, we expect the Fellow to travel to at least one state or national meetings to present their project’s products and lessons learned to others.
What schools are involved in this project? Fellows will work with teachers in our partner schools including: Anderson School (Bozeman), Arrowhead School (Pray), Belgrade Public Schools, Gallatin Gateway School, Manhattan Public School, and Ophir School (Big Sky).
How do I apply? To apply, you must submit a letter of application, including a 4-6 one and a half spaced page statement outlining your career goals, research question(s), and interest in connecting your research to K-12 education. Please also include a copy of your graduate coursework transcript and arrange for two letters of recommendation, including one from your major advisor. Applicants will be ranked on their qualifications, demonstrated commitment to education, relevance of their research to teachers’ interests, and the level of commitment for this activity expressed by their major advisor. The program is best suited for Ph.D. students, but highly qualified M.S. students are encouraged to apply.
Please submit your applications by January 23rd as screening will begin that day. Selected applications will be interviewed during the 28th-1st February 2008. We anticipate funding a total of nine Fellows in 2008-2009.
For more information on the BSI Science and Society Fellows Program, please contact Dr. Barbara Keith at 994-7584 or bkeith@montana.edu or, Dr. Lisa Rew 994 7966, lrew@montana.edu. You may also want to contact current Fellows about their experience with the program: see the GK12 web site for the Fellows’ contact information (http://bsi.montana.edu/gk12/fellows).
Send application material to: bkeith@montana.edu
or
Dr. Lisa Rew
Montana State University
Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
PO Box 3120
Bozeman MT. 59717
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| 2008 GK-12 Application.doc | 29.5 KB |
