$100M environmental grantmaking initiative

[reposted from Philanthropy News Digest] Financial services giant Wells Fargo has announced a $100 millionenvironmental grantmaking initiative.

Working with nonprofit organizations and universities, the initiative will find, foster, and fund innovative projects and entrepreneurial programs that support the commercialization of new and emerging clean technologies, including advances in renewable energy, "greener" buildings, alternative transportation, WASH technologies, and sustainable agriculture practices. The effort augments a previous $30 billion environmental finance commitment by the company that is aimed at building stronger communities and accelerating a transition to a greener economy.

As part of the new initiative, the company announced a five-year, $15 million partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that aims to combine NFWF's scientific expertise with Wells Fargo's own philanthropic and volunteer resources to protect and preserve a sustainable environment in communities across the United States.

"Wells Fargo's impressive commitment to conserving our nation's lands, waters, and precious natural heritage will have a dynamic effect on communities across the country," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "Through this initiative, we will expand the resources available for innovative projects that benefit our environment and the well-being of our citizens."

“Wells Fargo Launches $100 Million Environmental Grant Program.” Wells Fargo Press Release 6/05/12.

Public Transportation Workforce Grant

[reposted from DOLETA] The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has published a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) today for the Innovative Workforce Development Program.

This NOFA seeks proposals that promote diverse and innovative successful workforce development models and programs. FTA has budgeted approximately $5,000,000 for providing support of these efforts.

Proposals must have a minimum threshold of $100,000 and a maximum of $1,000,000. FTA reserves the right to change this amount based on the quantity and quality of applications; FTA may also choose to fund programs for less than the proposed amount.

FTA will accept applications that target one or more the following areas in the lifecycle of the transit workforce:

1. Pre-employment training/preparation
2. Recruitment and hiring
3. Incumbent worker training and retention
4. Succession planning/phased retirement

FTA is soliciting applications which cover a wide range of workforce activities --however, the following areas are of particular interest and focus:

• Projects or programs that demonstrate innovative methods of leveraging investments in public transportation infrastructure to generate positive impacts in local employment, particularly in underserved communities.
• Innovative projects or programs that support the training/professional development needs of blue-collar operations and maintenance workers, particularly in the area of new and emerging technologies.
• Projects that support or showcase innovative methods of encouraging youth to pursue careers in public transportation.

Eligible applicants are public transit agencies; state departments of transportation (DOTs) providing public transportation services; and Indian tribes, non-profit institutions and institutions of higher education.

FTA defines an external partner entity may be defined as, but not limited to:

1. Educational institutions, which includes entities providing professional accreditation, degree, and/or certification programs, such as universities, community colleges, or trade schools, either non- profit or for-profit.
2. Public workforce investment systems, such as local Workforce Investment Boards and their one-stop systems.
3. Labor organizations, such as labor unions and labor management organizations.
4. Non-profit organizations that support the mission of transit and transportation workforce development.

Click here for additional background and application requirements. The FTA is requesting applications by July 6, 2012.

ECF Grant Writing Workshop

The Erie Community Foundation will be hosting a grant writing workshop for Shaping Tomorrow Letters of Inquiry and Helping Today grant applications. The event will take place at the Erie Art Museum (411 State Street, Erie, PA) on Wednesday, June 13th, from 10 am to noon. Please contact Donna at 814-454-0843 to RSVP.

Phase I Research and Development Grants Available

National Science Foundation [reposted from GrantStation]
The Small Business Innovation Research Program provides support to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector by strengthening the role of small business concerns in meeting federal research and development needs, increasing the commercial application of federally supported research results, and fostering and encouraging participation by socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. Proposed investigations should conform to the interests of the high-technology investment sector and address one or more of the following topics: biological and chemical technologies; education applications; information and communication technologies; and nanotechnology, advanced materials, and manufacturing. A proposal checklist and other guidance materials are available here. Applications are accepted from May 19 to June 19, 2012.

Advancing STEM Learning grant

Description

The Advancing Informal STEM Learning program invests in research and development of innovative and field advancing out of school STEM learning and emerging STEM learning environments.

Link to Additional Information

NSF Publication 12-560

If you have difficulty accessing

Research and Development Tax Credit

[reposted from Techburgher] On March 15th 2012 Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Jim Cawley met with members of the Pittsburgh Technology Council to discuss the important role that investments in research and development have in growing Pennsylvania’s manufacturing and technology sectors. They also took the opportunity to emphasize just how beneficial Governor Corbett’s 300% increase in the Pennsylvania R&D tax credit has been since it was adopted last year.

“According to a report issued earlier this week, in 2011, a record number of Pennsylvania businesses were awarded R&D tax credits. This falls on the heels of last year’s state budget which expanded the available pool of credits from $18 million in 2010 to $55 million in 2011. The 537 businesses that benefited from the credit, reported more than $4.1 billion in expenditures on research and development activities in the Commonwealth, which represents a $624 million increase in expenditures over the prior year or a 17.6 percent expansion.

Last year’s state budget also dramatically increased the small business set-aside for R&D credits from $3.6 million to $11 million, which enabled small businesses to receive 100 percent of the credits for which they applied. In 2010, and prior to the Corbett administration’s changes, just $3.6 million of the $8.5 million in applications submitted by small businesses were funded.

For more info:

http://www.newpa.com/find-and-apply-for-funding/funding-and-program-finder/research-and-development-tax-credit

Computing Education for the 21st Century

Description

The Computing Education for the 21st Century (CE21) program aims to build a robust computing research community, a computationally competent 21st century workforce, and a computationally empowered citizenry. In this undertaking, there are three interrelated challenges: the significant underproduction of degrees needed for the computing and computing-related workforce, the longstanding underrepresentation of many segments of our population, and the lack of a presence of computing in K-12. Innovation in information technology (IT) has driven economic growth, underlies many of our recent scientific advances, and ensures our national security; it is not surprising then that predicted IT job growth is very strong. Yet students are not majoring in computing in sufficient numbers. This shortfall is exacerbated by the longstanding underrepresentation of women, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and indigenous peoples in computing. We cannot meet workforce demands without their participation and we cannot, in an increasingly competitive world economy, afford to cede the talents and creativity of so many. To ensure their participation, and the full participation of all students, we must provide better opportunities to study computing in K-12. We must start with a better understanding of how students learn computing. Unlike many of the other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, computing has not developed a robust research base on the teaching and learning of its fundamental concepts and skills. That research base must be built and it must be used in providing all students with rigorous academic curricula that cover computational concepts and skills, and the breadth of application and potential of computing. Providing access to rigorous, academic computing in K-12 will require an unprecedented effort to develop curriculum and materials and to prepare teachers.CE21 thus supports efforts in three tracks: Computing Education Research (CER) proposals will aim to develop a research base for computing education. Projects may conduct basic research on the teaching and learning of computational competencies; they may design, develop, test, validate, and refine materials, measurement tools, and methods for teaching in specific contexts; and/or they may implement promising small-scale interventions in order to study their efficacy with particular groups. Efforts can focus on computational thinking as taught in computing courses or infused across the curriculum, they can target students or their teachers in informal or formal educational settings, or they can address any level within the K-16 pipeline, from elementary school through high school and college. CS 10K proposals will aim to develop the knowledge base and partnerships needed to catalyze the CS 10K Project. The CS 10K Project aims to have rigorous, academic curricula incorporated into computing courses in 10,000 high schools, taught by 10,000 well-trained teachers. CS 10K proposals can address a wide range of needed activities, including the development of course materials, pedagogy, and methods courses, as well as professional development and ongoing support for teachers, approaches to scaling, best practices for increasing the participation of students from underrepresented groups, and strategies for building K-12, university, and community partnerships. Broadening Participation (BP) proposals will aim to develop and assess novel interventions that contribute to our knowledge base on the effective teaching and learning of computing for students from the underrepresented groups: women, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and indigenous peoples. Proposed interventions should be designed to engage and retain students from these groups and, at the same time, to increase their knowledge of computational thinking concepts and skills. Proposers are encouraged to leverage the resources provided by the existing BPC-A Alliances and to develop interventions that, if proven successful, could be implemented within a BPC-A Alliance. For additional information on the Alliances, see http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503593&org=NSF.In aggregate, CE21 projects will contribute to our understanding of how diverse student populations are engaged and retained in computing, learn its fundamental concepts, and develop computational competencies that position them to contribute to an increasingly computationally empowered workforce.

Link to Additional Information

NSF Publication 12-527

Expected Number of Awards:	20
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$13,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$10,000,000
Award Floor:	$200,000