Opportunity Information: Apply for 18 510
The National Science Foundation (NSF) opportunity titled Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) is a discretionary grant program designed to strengthen undergraduate biology education by building new, theme-driven networks of collaborators. The central idea is that meaningful change in a field often happens faster and spreads farther when investigators and educators coordinate their efforts across institutions, disciplines, regions, and even countries. Rather than funding individual projects in isolation, RCN-UBE supports the organized communication, planning, and shared work that helps a community move together toward improved teaching and learning in biology.
RCN-UBE sits within NSF's broader Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program, whose overarching goal is to advance a field or open new directions in research or education through coordination and collaboration. RCN-UBE began as a distinct track to catalyze positive changes in undergraduate biology education and is jointly supported by NSF's Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). It aligns with national calls to transform undergraduate biology, particularly the priorities described in the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement, which emphasizes modernizing curriculum, improving student learning outcomes, and adopting evidence-based teaching practices.
Projects proposed to RCN-UBE must be organized around a clear theme that gives the network coherence and purpose. The topic can be any area likely to advance undergraduate biology education, as long as the proposal uses the network model to generate broader impact. Past and expected outcomes of these networks include developing and sharing education research resources and instructional modules, creating new collaborations among educators and researchers, and distributing best practices that can scale beyond a small set of institutions and remain sustainable over time. These networks typically involve a broad mix of participants such as faculty, students, education researchers, and other stakeholders who influence biology education.
A key feature of the program is its emphasis on building new collaborations and exploring innovative ways to connect people and institutions. RCN-UBE encourages interdisciplinary approaches, international partnerships, experimentation with novel networking strategies, the use of collaborative technologies, and work toward community standards that help the field coordinate more effectively. At the same time, the program draws firm boundaries around what it will not fund: it does not support primary research as the main activity, and it does not provide funds simply to continue or maintain networks that already exist or to subsidize ongoing activities of established collaborations. The core value is in catalyzing new coordination that would not happen without the award.
Because the program focuses on undergraduate biology education, it is intentionally aligned with NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative. Applicants are encouraged to consider whether their idea is better suited to IUSE or to RCN-UBE depending on scope and intent. In practical terms, RCN-UBE is the better fit when the main objective is to create or strengthen a collaborative network that coordinates educators and investigators around shared goals, while IUSE may be more appropriate when the project centers on implementing and studying specific educational interventions or reforms.
The opportunity information associated with this solicitation identifies NSF as the sponsoring agency, with activity categorized under science and technology research and development and CFDA listings 47.074 and 47.076. The original solicitation referenced an expected number of awards (12) and an application deadline of January 30, 2018, reflecting the specific cycle described in the source text. The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the provided record, which typically indicates that applicants must consult the full solicitation for budget constraints and appropriate award sizes rather than relying on a fixed cap in the summary record. Eligibility is described broadly and refers applicants to additional eligibility details in the full announcement.Apply for 18 510
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.074, 47.076.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 01, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 30, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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RCN-UBE (NSF) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the NSF RCN-UBE opportunity?
Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) is a discretionary National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program that supports building new, theme-driven networks of collaborators to strengthen undergraduate biology education. The program funds coordination, communication, planning, and shared work across a community rather than funding isolated, stand-alone projects.
What is the core purpose of RCN-UBE?
The core purpose is to accelerate meaningful, field-level change in undergraduate biology education by helping educators and investigators coordinate across institutions, disciplines, regions, and potentially countries. The underlying premise is that coordinated communities can move faster and spread improvements farther than individuals working independently.
How does RCN-UBE relate to NSF’s broader Research Coordination Networks (RCN) program?
RCN-UBE sits within NSF’s broader RCN program. The overarching RCN goal is to advance a field or open new directions in research or education through coordination and collaboration. RCN-UBE is a distinct track focused specifically on undergraduate biology education.
Which parts of NSF support RCN-UBE?
RCN-UBE is jointly supported by NSF’s Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR).
How does RCN-UBE align with national priorities in undergraduate biology education?
The program aligns with national calls to transform undergraduate biology education, including priorities described in the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education movement. This includes modernizing curricula, improving student learning outcomes, and adopting evidence-based teaching practices.
What kinds of projects are appropriate for RCN-UBE?
Projects must be organized around a clear theme that gives the network coherence and purpose. The theme can be in any area likely to advance undergraduate biology education, as long as the proposal uses a network model to produce broader impact through coordinated community activity.
Does RCN-UBE require a specific topic area in biology?
The topic can be any area that is likely to advance undergraduate biology education. The key requirement is that the proposal is theme-driven and uses the network approach to generate broader impact.
What outcomes are RCN-UBE networks expected to produce?
Examples of past and expected outcomes include developing and sharing biology education research resources and instructional modules, creating new collaborations among educators and researchers, and distributing best practices that can scale beyond a small group of institutions and remain sustainable over time.
Who typically participates in an RCN-UBE network?
Networks typically involve a broad mix of participants such as faculty, students, education researchers, and other stakeholders who influence undergraduate biology education.
What makes RCN-UBE different from funding a single education project?
RCN-UBE is designed to support organized coordination: communication, planning, shared infrastructure for collaboration, and community movement toward common goals. The emphasis is on building a network that enables broader, sustained change rather than implementing one localized intervention in isolation.
Does RCN-UBE encourage interdisciplinary or international collaboration?
Yes. RCN-UBE encourages interdisciplinary approaches, international partnerships, experimentation with novel networking strategies, the use of collaborative technologies, and work toward community standards that help the field coordinate more effectively.
What kinds of networking approaches are encouraged?
The program explicitly encourages innovative ways to connect people and institutions, including new collaboration models, creative networking strategies, and collaborative technologies that support communication and shared work.
What will RCN-UBE not fund?
RCN-UBE draws firm boundaries around unallowable central activities. It does not support primary research as the main activity. It also does not provide funds simply to continue or maintain networks that already exist, or to subsidize ongoing activities of established collaborations. The main value must be catalyzing new coordination that would not occur without the award.
Can an existing network apply to get continued support?
The program does not fund proposals whose main purpose is to continue or maintain an already existing network or to subsidize ongoing activities of established collaborations. Proposals need to emphasize new coordination and new collaborative value.
Is primary scientific research allowed under RCN-UBE?
The program does not support primary research as the main activity. The central focus is coordination and collaboration aimed at advancing undergraduate biology education.
How does RCN-UBE relate to NSF’s IUSE initiative?
Because RCN-UBE focuses on undergraduate biology education, it is intentionally aligned with NSF’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative. Applicants are encouraged to consider which program is the better fit based on the project’s primary objective and scope.
Should a proposal go to IUSE or to RCN-UBE?
RCN-UBE is a better fit when the main objective is to create or strengthen a collaborative network that coordinates educators and investigators around shared goals. IUSE may be more appropriate when the project centers on implementing and studying specific educational interventions or reforms.
Who is the sponsoring agency for this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Science Foundation (NSF).
How is this opportunity categorized in the provided record?
The activity is categorized under science and technology research and development.
What CFDA listings are associated with this opportunity?
The provided record lists CFDA 47.074 and 47.076.
How many awards were expected in the referenced solicitation cycle?
The original solicitation referenced an expected number of 12 awards for the cycle described in the source text.
What was the application deadline in the referenced cycle?
The application deadline listed in the provided information is January 30, 2018, reflecting the specific cycle described in the source text.
Is there an award ceiling for RCN-UBE?
The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the provided record. This typically indicates the summary record does not provide a fixed cap and that applicants should consult the full solicitation for budget constraints and appropriate award sizes.
What does it mean when the award ceiling is shown as 0?
In the context given, a ceiling of 0 generally suggests that applicants should not assume there is no limit; instead, they should consult the full solicitation for budget guidance because the summary record does not specify a fixed maximum award amount.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described broadly in the provided information and directs applicants to additional eligibility details in the full announcement. The summary provided does not include specific eligibility criteria beyond that.
Where should applicants look for full details not included in the summary record?
Applicants should consult the full solicitation/announcement for detailed requirements, including budget expectations, eligibility specifics, and any additional proposal guidance not captured in the summary record.
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