Mini-grants for higher education programs

There are 2 kinds of mini-grants for Maryland:

  1. Participation in the Summer Intensive Workshop and the Maryland CS Summit
  2. Project based for a 6-9 month CS education project
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

NOTE: BECAUSE THIS IS A MOVEMENT OF STATE FUNDS, INDIRECT COSTS ARE NOT ALLOWABLE ON THE GRANT REQUESTS.

1. Participation Grant Summary
For Summer Intensive Workshop & MD CS Summit

  1. The purpose is to support faculty time to attend MCCE sponsored workshop sessions, collaborate with peers, design a vision to reach all Education students with meaningful CS experiences, develop lessons, and reflect on how we can improve this process.
  2. A fixed rate stipend is offered for all faculty of $900 for 3 days participation in the Summer Intensive workshop. 
  3. No daily stipend is offered for participation at the November MD CS Summit
  4. Travel and accommodation support is offered at a fixed rate based on the event and the distance of the institution from the event. Use the Participation grant calculation sheet to determine the amounts. 
Any degree granting Maryland higher education institution with an Education program can apply.

2. Project Based Mini-Grant Purpose:

  1. Build a foundation of knowledge among faculty in your education program to understand computer science
  2. Integrate computer science and computational thinking elements into the curriculum.
  3. Incorporate existing resources to address the MD K12 CS standards into your education courses 

Questions to consider:

  1. Do you have a plan to provide multiple experiences for students in an education pathway with integrated computational thinking and computer science skills? Who do you need to bring on board to make this work?
  2. What percentage of your education faculty will your proposal support?
  3. What connections do you have between your CS faculty, your local school system, and other institutions?
  4. What percentage of your undergraduate education students will the results of your work reach?
  5. How will the project you design create a lasting impact on the understanding of computational thinking and computer science among the students who graduate from your program? How will they be better prepared for what they will be to support what students are learning in the Maryland K-12 classrooms?

Prior Years' Summer Workshops 

  • Each summer there are workshops held in Maryland for faculty in education programs to understand and incorporate computational thinking and computer science into their courses. Current and former grant partners share their results, and new partners have the opportunity to collaborate and access mentors. View prior year resources at The Maryland CS Education Preservice Resource site and videos from our partners on the Higher Ed video playlist

Required elements:

  1. Have a plan to develop something that can be sustained beyond the grant period.
  2. Start by making use of high-quality existing materials and activities that align to what is being done in Maryland classrooms.
  3. Plan to expose students to multiple experiences of applied computational thinking, computer science skills, and opportunities to design CT/CS experiences for children.
  4. Collaborate with local school systems and between higher education institutions.
  5. Become familiar with the MD K12 CS standards and the national CS teacher standards. (csteachers.org)
  6. Attend at least one MD higher education preservice event: Annual CS Summit in the fall, or summer workshops.
  7. SUBMIT:
    1. A narrative that includes:
      1. Grant PI information and background
      2. Goals and objectives
      3. Timeline (with who is the lead for each step)
      4. Summary of who this will reach and how it will sustain.
    2. Budget. Use this spreadsheet if it applies. ** NOTE: No more than 10% of the total grant request can be used for materials and equipment **
  8. Budget limits:
    1. Starter grants: $3,000 - $5,000.
    2. Follow up mini-grants up to $10,000
    3. Participation grants: large institution up to $12,000, medium/small institution $6,000 **
**   If requests exceed these budget limits, a waiver may be offered for additional funding if the plan justifies the increased request.
 

Eligibility: Maryland institutions of higher education with courses in education.

Timeline:  6-9 months

 
Email mcce at usmd dot edu with your information to apply.