Chapter 9 ATE Program Services

9.0.0.0.1 For a few ATE projects, the primary purpose is to provide activities, materials, or services to enhance the capacity of ATE grantseekers, grantees, and affiliated stakeholders to plan and conduct successful ATE projects. In some other programs within NSF’s Education and Human Resources directorate, these types of program-oriented services are consolidated and provided by a single organization. The ATE program is configured differently; ATE program- specific support, technical assistance, and other services are delivered by multiple grant- funded entities that focus on narrower areas of expertise, with an array of other projects contributing to program capacity in various ways. The ATE program also has a culture of sharing and support to advance the shared interests of program stakeholders.
9.0.0.0.2 ATE PIs were asked to identify the ways in which their projects supported the ATE community and the number of people served through their service activities.

9.1 ATE Program Services

9.1.0.1 Three percent of projects were funded specifically to serve the ATE program.

Eight ATE projects are funded to provide services and support specifically for ATE grantseekers and grantees and their affiliates. These projects include the following:

  • AccessATE supports ATE projects in understanding and complying with accessibility requirements to make their materials and activities more accessible to all students and faculty, including those with disabilities.
  • ATE Central is the ATE program’s information hub, dedicated to highlighting the work of ATE projects and supporting projects in various aspects of their work, such as archiving, outreach, and connecting with others in the ATE community.
  • ATE for 2 Year Colleges (ATE-2YC) provided proposal writing workshops and a mentoring program for two-year college STEM faculty. This work will continue under the Mentor Up project.
  • ATE Collaborative Outreach and Engagement raises awareness of the ATE program, primarily through the publication of the ATE Impacts book.
  • Broadening the Impact of STEM Education encourages collaboration between community colleges and ATE programs through the dissemination of resources and provision of technical assistance, including the MentorLinks program.
  • EvaluATE strengthens the evaluation capacity of those involved with ATE projects through training, networking opportunities, and research, including administration of the ATE annual survey.
  • Formative Assessment Systems for ATE (FAS4ATE) develops and tests toolkits for assessing professional development activities.
  • Mentor-Connect is a mentoring and leadership development program for two-year institutions of higher education new to the ATE program.

Collectively, these 8 projects reported the following achievements:

All survey respondents were invited to report on the ways in which their projects served and supported the ATE program, even if that was not the main focus of their work. Forty-four additional projects identified ways that their projects served the ATE community. Thirty projects developed and disseminated resource materials. Six projects held in-person workshops. Twenty-three projects offered webinars. And 7 projects provided technical assistance to individuals.