Support for the Mathematical Sciences Education Board

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This grant provides $210,000 in support of core projects of the Mathematical Sciences Education Board of the National Academy of Sciences (MSEB). MSEB was established in October, 1985, with the mandate of effecting comprehensive and far-reaching changes in mathematics education at all levels within the United States. The complex undertaking of systematically analyzing and addressing the nation's needs was launched with the assistance of a $300,000 grant from Science and Engineering Education and Division of Teacher Preparation and Enhancement, most of which was applied to a curriculum study. The Board now seeks support for the following core activities: analysis of the mathematics education system across the nation; identification of critical intellectual and policy issues and planning and stimulation of coordinated work on these issues; synthesis of the best ideas available; and communication of these results to state, local and federal education and science agencies, to parent groups, and to the general public. The products of this multi-year enterprise will be periodic reports and position papers, meetings and conferences, and several Reports to the Nation. Funds will be used for salaries and wages of professional and support staff, honoraria for consultants and stipends for borrowed personnel, and travel expenses for staff and Board members. It should be noted that core expenses are estimated at $750,000 per year, and that financial commitments for this purpose (some of them in multi-year continuing grants) have been or are being obtained from nine other federal agencies. Because of the fundamental importance of mathematics to science and engineering and to all aspects of NSF initiatives, this grant is being jointly funded by the Directorates for Biological, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Science and Engineering Education.