OARS funding Literacy

The purpose of this Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) is to build capacity for environmental literacy in support of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mission goals through a cooperative agreement with a non-profit organization. In order to further the efforts of the external community that supports NOAA's environmental literacy-related priorities, NOAA is seeking a partnership with a nonprofit organization with a mission of environmental education and/or conservation to work with NOAA to implement formal and informal education efforts, outreach, and professional development in support of environmental literacy. The successful applicant will be supported through a 5-year cooperative agreement with NOAA and should have significant experience supporting environmental literacy, as well as capacity to convene meetings and workshops, manage small-scale grants, and support program evaluation. Experience facilitating partnerships, developing education and outreach materials, and implementing educator professional development is also preferred. Specific activities will be determined collaboratively with NOAA and will further the efforts of the external community to build environmental literacy through informal and formal education. Projects will support NOAA's mission in the areas of ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate sciences and stewardship as defined by the goals of the NOAA Education Strategic Plan 2015-2035

Miami University researchers can provide input about the professional development opportunities they'd like to see OARS offer in the next year by completing this 5-minute survey.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and libraries that offer literacy programs in communities served by Dollar General in 44 states. The Foundation provides support through the following grant programs: Adult Literacy Grants support nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance. Family Literacy Grants support family literacy service providers that combine parent and youth literacy instruction. Summer Reading Grants help nonprofit organizations and libraries with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs for students who are new readers, below grade level readers, or readers with learning disabilities. Online applications for the three programs described above must be submitted by February 22, 2018. In addition, Youth Literacy Grants support schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations that work to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. The application deadline for this program is May 17, 2018. Visit the Foundation's website to access guidelines for each grant program.

The award, which carries a grant of $4,000, is awarded annually to assist an IRA member in the investigation of reading-related problems and to encourage international professional development activities carried out in countries outside North America. The award represents a specific means for working toward as many as three articulated goals of the association, including advocacy, professional development, and emerging global issues. 1) Advocacy: Through the Constance McCullough Award the association seeks to promote universal access to literacy and to provide leadership in support of adequate funding for literacy programs on an international basis. 2) Professional Development: Through the award the association seeks to enhance and improve professional development of literacy educators on an international basis - professional development that supports programs and processes in response to expressed needs and that responds quickly to identify professional needs. 3) Emerging Global Issues: The association seeks to identify and provide leadership on emerging globally significant literacy issues such as access to primary education for all, access to current materials, and assessment of literacy levels.

Applicants for the funds may be students or faculty. The project, program, or entrepreneurial idea must be created by, led by or benefit women. Grants are awarded in values of $2500 to $20,000. While we prefer the base grant to be $5,000, we are considering a limited number of $2500 which will be required to show high impact. These applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The grants must be submitted online via the link below and must include a 2-minute video. Applicants will be narrowed to a pool of 10-15 finalists by our M.I.A.M.I. WOMEN Grants Committee. This committee will review applications; contact applicants if additional information is required, and present the finalists to the M.I.A.M.I. WOMEN Steering Committee and Development Staff. Grant deadline for this year is Feb. 9, 2018. These finalists will perform in a fast-pitch style Hawk Tank event on April 11, 2018. Finalists will be offered fast-pitch training courtesy of the Farmers School of Business - school of Entrepreneurship, and will receive coaching and support. They will then pitch their idea in 5 minutes or less on April 11, 2018 at the event. Giving Circle members are the voters who will determine winners. Absentee voters will be given the option to vote online. Winners will be announced that night or the next day at the Symposium, to be determined.

The goal of this Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) is to support the education of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather events and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience. Many U.S. communities are increasingly contending with issues related to preventing, withstanding, and recovering from disruptions caused by extreme weather and other environmental hazards (U.S. Department of Commerce FY2014-FY2018 Strategic Plan). These hazards include but are not limited to severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, heavy precipitation events, persistent drought, heat waves, increased global temperatures, acidification of the ocean, and sea level rise (Weather-ready Nation: NOAA's National Weather Service Strategic Plan 2011; Melillo et al., 2014). These extreme weather and climate events put stress on infrastructure, ecological systems, and the humans that live in the impacted places. U.S. communities can become more resilient to such events by exploring the hazards they face, assessing their specific vulnerabilities and risks, considering options, prioritizing and planning, and finally taking action (U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit). This process is typically performed by scientists and municipal planners, but in order for resilience to occur, other members of a community must have some understanding of the hazards they face and how to mitigate them, both at the individual and the community level.

The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, aims to restore reading to the center of American culture. Managed by Arts Midwest, the program provides organizations with grants and comprehensive resources that support efforts to inspire their community to read and discuss a single book or the work of a poet. Community organizations participating in the Big Read develop and produce reading programs that encourage reading and participation by diverse local audiences. These programs include activities such as author readings, book discussions, art exhibits, lectures, film series, music or dance events, theatrical performances, panel discussions, and other events and activities related to the community's chosen book or poet. Activities must focus on a book or poet from the Big Read Library. Previous grantees must select a different reading choice from their previous programming. The program is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations to develop reading programs between September 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. Organizations selected to participate receive a grant, educational and promotional materials, and access to online training resources and opportunities. Approximately seventy-five organizations will be selected from communities of varying size in the United States. Eligible organizations may apply for grants ranging between $5,000 and $15,000. Grants must be matched on a one-to-one basis with non-federal funds. Grant funds may be used for such expenses as book purchases, speaker fees and travel, salaries, advertising, and venue rental.

 The purpose of this FOA is to support investigator-initiated R01 applications that will inform our understanding of the typical and atypical patterns of language and literacy development of dual language learners (DLLs) in the United States. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of advances in the language sciences and related fields to identify and clarify specific cognitive, linguistic, neurobiological, and sociocultural factors associated with normal and impaired language and literacy acquisition in young DLL populations.     

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 funds for the Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance program. The Native Language Preservation and Maintenance program provides funding for projects to support assessments of the status of the native languages in an established community, as well as the planning, designing, restoration, and implementing of native language curriculum and education projects to support a community's language preservation goals. Native American communities include American Indian tribes (federally-recognized and non-federally recognized), Native Hawaiians, Alaskan Natives, and Native American Pacific Islanders.

For applications requesting Museums for America funding of more than $25,000, you must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of the request. No cost sharing is permitted for applications requesting amounts of $5,000-$25,000. Program Overview: The Museums for America (MFA) program supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. MFA has three project categories: Learning Experiences, Community Anchors, and Collections Stewardship

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is seeking to enter into a Cooperative Agreement with a U.S. Regional Arts Organization (RAO) that will administer the 2019-2020 cycle of the NEA Big Read program. The NEA Big Read is a community reading program that broadens our understanding of the world, communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The program annually supports approximately 75 community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read book selection. Each participating community organization: selects a book from the available titles for the entire community to read and celebrate over a 4-6 week time period; presents a series of public events about the featured book, such as book group discussions, readings, and media and arts programs; promotes participation in the program; and reports on the type and number of participants at events. Community programs each receive an NEA Big Read subgrant-ranging from $5,000 to $15,000-to undertake these activities and are provided with resources to support project programming.

"Reading for All" activity is to improve reading outcomes for children with disabilities (CwDs) in grades 1 - 3 in USAID-supported Early Grade Reading Program (EGRP) districts. The three main objectives of the Reading for All activity are to improve data quality on CwDs; enhance institutional and technical capacity at various levels to deliver quality reading instruction and support to CwDs; and test inclusive instructional models that can be scaled for specific groups of CwDs.

The purpose of the Jobs Plus Pilot program is to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, employer linkages, job placement, educational advancement, technology skills, and financial literacy for residents of public housing. The place-based Jobs Plus Pilot program addresses poverty among public housing residents by incentivizing and enabling employment through earned income disregards for working families, and a set of services designed to support work including employer linkages, job placement and counseling, educational advancement, and financial counseling. Ideally, these incentives will saturate the target developments, building a culture of work and making working families the norm. The Jobs Plus Pilot program consists of the following three core components: Employment-Related Services Financial Incentives – Jobs Plus Earned Income Disregard (JPEID) Community Supports for Work Applicants are encouraged to develop key partnerships to connect participants with any other needed services to remove barriers to work. An Individualized Training and Services Plan (ITSP) should be developed for each participant to establish goals and service strategies, and to track progress. Background HUD, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the MDRC, through a public-private partnership, designed and supported the Jobs Plus program model between 1998 and 2003. HUD has issued two separate evaluation reports on the demonstration, in an effort to identify and document the most promising approaches to increasing employment among families in public housing. Each evaluation showed ongoing positive effects for residents when the program was well-implemented and included the three core elements.

The American Psychological Foundation is accepting applications for its APF Annette Urso Rickel Foundation Dissertation Award for Public Policy. The $1,000 scholarship supports dissertation research on public policy that has the potential to improve services for children and families facing psychosocial issues such as prevention of child abuse, school programs for children with psychological issues, services for youth in the criminal justice system, healthy parenting, math and science education, and contributions to the adoption of sound policy affecting children, youth, and families. To be eligible, applicants must be a graduate student in psychology enrolled full time in a regionally accredited institution located in the U.S. or Canada; have completed his/her doctoral candidacy, including dissertation approval by a doctoral committee; and have demonstrated research competence and commitment to the field.

Established in 1962, the Spencer Foundation is dedicated to the belief that research is necessary to the improvement of education. To that end, the foundation supports high-quality investigations of education through its research programs and to the strengthening and renewal of the educational research community through its fellowship/training programs and related activities. To that end, the foundation is accepting proposals through its Small Research Grants Program from education research projects. In keeping with the foundation's mission, the program aims to fund academic work that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. Examples of previously funded projects include an experimental study of how college students use visual representations in solving math problems; a study exploring the process of racial and rural identity formation among African-American high-school students who attend de facto segregated schools in the rural South; and a mixed-methods study focused on the different types of knowledge novice and experienced teachers draw on in teaching reading comprehension. To be eligible, principal investigators and co-PIs must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. In addition, the PI must be affiliated with a college, university, school district, nonprofit research facility, or nonprofit cultural institution that is willing to serve as the fiscal agent should a grant be awarded.

The TESOL International Association is accepting applications to its Tina B. Carver Fund. Through the fund, grants of up to $400 will be awarded for the purchase of student classroom learning materials and/or teacher-related materials (e.g., ancillary materials that can be used in conjunction with textbooks or other instruction materials) in support of adult ESL education programs in the United States. Priority will be given to programs that serve hard-to-reach students with limited resources (e.g., beginning literacy to intermediate-low ESL students). To be eligible, applicants must be a TESOL member or member of a TESOL affiliate.

An individual may submit only one application for FY 2019 funding. You may not apply for both a Translation Project under this deadline (December 5, 2017) and a Literature Fellowship (in prose or poetry) under the 2018 deadline (when fellowships in prose are offered). The Arts Endowment's support of a project may begin any time between November 1, 2018, and November 1, 2019, and extend for up to two years. Program Description Through fellowships to published translators, the National Endowment for the Arts supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. We encourage translations of writers and of work that are not well represented in English translation. All proposed projects must be for creative translations of literary material into English. The work to be translated should be of interest for its literary excellence and value. Priority will be given to projects that involve work that has not previously been translated into English. Competition for fellowships is rigorous. Potential applicants should consider carefully whether their work will be competitive at the national level.

The U.S. Mission in Iraq announces an open competition for eligible organizations to submit proposals to develop and implement the English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq. Public Affairs Section (PAS) seeks to provide Iraqi youth with educational opportunities through English-language instruction in accordance with Mission Iraq goals. The English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq will provide a foundation of English language skills to non-elite, 13 to 18 year-old students through after-school classes and intensive summer activities over a two-year period. Access Program students also gain an appreciation for American culture and democratic values, increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries, and gain the ability to compete for and participate in future U.S. Government-sponsored educational programs. Subject to the availability of funds, the Embassy expects to award a grant up to $380,000 to carry out the English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq over a twenty-four month time frame.

The U.S. Mission in Iraq announces an open competition for eligible organizations to submit proposals to develop and implement the English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq. Public Affairs Section (PAS) seeks to provide Iraqi youth with educational opportunities through English-language instruction in accordance with Mission Iraq goals. The English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq will provide a foundation of English language skills to non-elite, 13 to 18 year-old students through after-school classes and intensive summer activities over a two-year period. Access Program students also gain an appreciation for American culture and democratic values, increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries, and gain the ability to compete for and participate in future U.S. Government-sponsored educational programs. Subject to the availability of funds, the Embassy expects to award a grant up to $380,000 to carry out the English Access Micro-scholarship Program for Central and Southern Iraq over a twenty-four month time frame.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), in collaboration with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), is sponsoring a series of training workshops for individual researchers and research teams to explore and use data and assessment tools from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). These workshops are designed for those who want to go beyond computing basic statistics with the PIAAC databases. During the workshops we will train participants to conduct simple and complex analysis with the PIAAC data. We will also help participants familiarize themselves with the statistical and data complexities of PIAAC. The general day-to-day schedule of the workshops will include both presentations and hands-on practical assignments using released PIAAC databases.