Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program | 21 578

Opportunity Information: Apply for 21 578

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is a federal grant opportunity designed to strengthen the pipeline of excellent K-12 mathematics and science teachers, especially in high-need school districts. The program focuses on three connected challenges: recruiting strong STEM talent into teaching, preparing them to be effective in real classrooms, and retaining them over time. In addition to supporting new teachers, the program also invests in experienced K-12 STEM educators who can serve as teacher leaders, and it funds research meant to identify what actually works to improve teacher effectiveness and reduce turnover in high-need settings.

At its core, the Noyce program is built around the idea that many high-need districts struggle to attract and keep well-prepared STEM teachers, and that addressing this problem requires both financial support for individuals and strong partnerships among universities, school districts, and other education stakeholders. Noyce grants typically support scholarship or fellowship recipients while they complete teacher preparation and then require a service commitment in a high-need district after they become licensed and hired. The program also recognizes that keeping teachers in these roles depends on mentoring, induction support, strong clinical experiences, and leadership pathways, so many funded projects include structured supports that extend into the early years of teaching.

The opportunity is organized into four main tracks, plus a smaller Capacity Building option meant to help organizations get ready to compete for a full proposal. Track 1, called Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships and Stipends (SampS), supports the development of new K-12 STEM teachers for high-need school districts. It targets Noyce-eligible STEM undergraduate majors as well as STEM professionals who are transitioning into teaching. Awards under Track 1 can be up to $1.2 million over as long as five years. Recipients supported through this track are generally required to teach in a high-need district for two years for each year of financial support they receive, creating a direct link between funding and service in the communities with the greatest staffing needs.

Track 2, the NSF Teaching Fellowships (TF) Track, is aimed specifically at STEM professionals (people with STEM backgrounds who are not necessarily already teachers) and supports them in becoming K-12 STEM teachers. This track can fund larger projects, with awards up to $3 million over as long as six years. The required teaching commitment associated with this track is four years in a high-need school district, reflecting the program goal of not only training new teachers but keeping them in classrooms long enough to make a sustained impact.

Track 3, the NSF Master Teaching Fellowships (MTF) Track, shifts the focus from entry into teaching to leadership and retention among accomplished teachers already working in K-12 settings. It is designed to develop K-12 STEM teacher leaders in high-need school districts, supporting educators who hold a bachelors or masters degree in their STEM field. Like Track 2, Track 3 awards can be up to $3 million with project durations up to six years. The service expectation is longer: a five-year teaching commitment, aligned with the idea that leadership development and long-term retention are crucial for stabilizing instruction and mentoring other educators in high-need schools.

Track 4, the Noyce Research Track, funds studies focused on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. Unlike the scholarship and fellowship tracks, this track is not primarily about directly funding individuals to become teachers; instead, it supports research that can inform policy, program design, and practical retention strategies. Track 4 awards can be up to $1 million over as long as five years, and there is no teaching commitment requirement because the funded work centers on generating evidence rather than supporting teacher candidates or teacher leaders directly.

In addition to the four tracks, the program accepts Capacity Building proposals of up to $75,000 for up to one year. This option is meant for organizations that want to develop a competitive Noyce proposal but need time and resources to build partnerships, design a coherent model, plan evaluation strategies, or align certification pathways and district needs before applying to one of the main tracks. In practice, Capacity Building can be a useful entry point for institutions that are new to Noyce or that need to strengthen collaboration between STEM departments, colleges of education, and high-need district partners.

A notable feature of the Noyce program is that award amounts may exceed the stated maximums when proposals include certain collaboration incentives. These incentives encourage applicants to broaden participation and strengthen pathways by partnering with community colleges (especially in Capacity Building or Track 1 projects), connecting with existing Noyce awards (relevant for Track 4 research projects), or engaging minority-serving institutions (allowed across any Noyce submission). The intent is to expand the reach of teacher recruitment and preparation systems, reduce barriers for underrepresented groups in STEM teaching, and promote coordination across institutions that serve diverse student populations.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary NSF grant in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category (CFDA 47.076). The listed award ceiling is $3 million, with an anticipated number of awards around 70 for the referenced cycle. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details provided in the full solicitation, which typically means the exact set of eligible institutions and partners depends on NSF guidance in the program text. The key takeaway is that the program is intended for organizations capable of running robust teacher preparation, fellowship, leadership development, or research efforts in partnership with high-need school districts.

Overall, the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program is best understood as a multi-lane funding program with a single overarching mission: to increase the number, quality, and staying power of STEM teachers and STEM teacher leaders in high-need districts, while also building a stronger evidence base about what improves teacher effectiveness and retention. It provides multiple entry points depending on whether an applicant wants to fund pre-service candidates (Track 1), transition STEM professionals into teaching (Track 2), develop and retain expert teacher leaders (Track 3), or conduct research that can improve the field (Track 4), with a smaller planning option (Capacity Building) to help organizations prepare for a larger effort.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 14, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 70 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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