Advanced Technological Education
The Advanced Technological Education program supports the education of technicians in high-tech fields via partnerships between academic institutions, industry, and development agencies, emphasizing faculty-led projects and credit-bearing courses in collaboration with various entities to enhance technician education.
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: October 3, 2024 | First Thursday in October, annually thereafter (full proposals)
Funding Amounts: $475,000–$7,500,000 per award depending on track; up to 5 years; approx. $74M total program funding; 45–80 awards expected annually
Summary: Supports technician education in advanced technology fields at two-year colleges through curriculum, professional development, career pathways, and applied research projects.
Key Information: Focus on two-year IHEs; two-year faculty must have significant leadership roles on all projects.
Description
The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program is designed to strengthen the education of technicians for high-technology fields critical to the U.S. economy. With a primary focus on two-year institutions of higher education (IHEs), including community colleges, the program funds projects that develop innovative curricula, provide professional development for educators, create career pathways, and conduct applied research to advance technician education. Partnerships among academic institutions (grades 7–12, IHEs), industry, and economic development agencies are strongly encouraged.
ATE aims to ensure that technician education is relevant, credit-bearing, and responsive to workforce needs, with particular emphasis on engaging underrepresented and underserved communities in STEM. Projects may target areas such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, energy, environmental technology, micro- and nanotechnologies, security, and emerging fields like AI and quantum information sciences.
