Mission and Goals
Overview of Project Vision
For over 30 years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) has helped many of the United States’ 1,200+ community colleges transform into the world’s best technician education platform. While the impact and value of NSF support has been well documented, recent trends indicate a decrease in the number of two-year colleges submitting proposals to DUE.
In a time of shrinking community college STEM enrollment, decreased state funding, and high attrition rates, additional revenue streams such as NSF-DUE funding are critical for colleges to remain dynamic, competitive, and relevant, and for STEM programs to grow.
Project Vision is an NSF-funded initiative focused on providing two-year colleges with expertise to generate ideas and subsequently support capacity building at each college, so that these colleges can regularly submit proposals when appropriate to DUE.
Our Goal
To catalyze submissions of proposals from 45 two-year colleges not previously associated with DUE programs, specifically smaller two-year colleges (with focus on rural colleges) or colleges with newer Presidents.
Our Objectives
Identify and partner with 45 new two-year colleges, specifically smaller two-year colleges (with focus on rural colleges) or colleges with newer Presidents.
Evaluate each college; provide a recommendation report identifying strengths, areas of concern, and applicable DUE program opportunities; collaborate on formulating an initial innovative idea.
Support college personnel in the grant writing process through the submission of their first DUE proposal.
Mentor and network college Presidents, administrators, faculty, and staff to grow their internal capabilities of regularly generating original ideas and converting them into fundable proposals.
Mentor college Board of Trustees on the nature and impact of NSF DUE programs, why to discuss DUE in presidential searches, and how to support college presidents during the 1st year transition and beyond in incorporating NSF DUE opportunities to strategic plans.