Persistence and Effectiveness in Safety and Sustainability Science Education
Program Overview
The Office of Research Experiences & Education (OREE) of UL Research Institutes (ULRI) is interested in research on interventions along the learning continuum that will support persistence in safety science and engineering.
Award Information
Type of Award: Competitive grant
Number of Awards Given: Up to 2
Funding Amount: Up to $200,000 a year
Duration of Award: 3 years
Key Dates
Feb. 16, 2024 (by 11:59 p.m. EST): Letter of intent submission due (required)
May 10, 2024 (by 11:59 p.m. EST): Full proposal deadline
Key Resources
Full Notice of Funding Opportunity
Program Terms and Conditions (updated April 1st, 2024)
Application Submission Instructions
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Background
The Office of Research Experiences & Education (OREE) of UL Research Institutes contributes to addressing global challenges in safety science through education programs staffed by experts in learning across the continuum of K-20+ education in communities and classrooms. Therefore, OREE's mission is to build the future of safety science through equity and access to pathways into careers in safety science and engineering. OREE creates educational resources, access, and opportunities through the science of safety.
OREE is seeking research projects that will support the office in building relevant, meaningful programming for youth and educators within UL Research Institutes. OREE's focus is on educators of/ students who are traditionally overlooked and underrepresented in STEM research fields. These research projects will inform the office's ability to situate programming equitably in the sustainability and sciences education landscape.
Grant Purpose
The purpose of this grant is to understand persistence and effectiveness in education related to safety science. OREE is exploring the need for resources in climate education for children and youth in communities and classrooms. OREE is also focusing on persistence for overlooked populations of students in STEM careers. Both of these focus areas will inform the ongoing betterment and development of OREE's key initiatives.
Applicants are encouraged to select from one of the two focus areas:
Focus Area 1: Strategies and Systems to Support Persistence in STEM Careers
The purpose of this focus area is to identify and understand effective strategies that will contribute to the understanding of the systems necessary for young people to persist in careers in STEM and sustainability fields. The project should consider the intersectional identities of those who are overlooked and underrepresented in the sciences, including geography (urban/rural), to illuminate the how systems (not individuals) can be reimagined to enable more people to thrive in these fields.
Focus Area 2: Climate Education Serving Overlooked and Underrepresented Youth
The purpose of this focus area is to understand what is working in climate education centered on youth voices, which is inclusive of young people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. Specifically, how are climate education programs delivered effectively from virtual platforms and how do global/national resources get implemented in local communities and classrooms effectively? This focus area should include a diverse sample of teachers/educators and youth.
Projects must have a substantial qualitative component. Projects must also include students, youth, or educators representing overlooked or underrepresented identities as participants, and preference will be given to studies with members of those groups engaged in the research process beyond acting as subjects.
Eligibility Information
Who Should Submit Proposals:
All proposals should be submitted by an accredited college, university, government, or non-government organization (including not-for-profit and for-profit institutions) with recognized legal status in their respective country.
At ULRI, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical to who we are and what we represent as a leading safety science organization. We believe that our inclusivity fuels brilliance in innovation, creative problem-solving, and, ultimately, excellence in safety science discovery. Learn more about ULRI’s commitment to DEI.
ULRI encourages proposals from, or collaborations with, diverse research teams, including minority-serving institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other institutions with a predominantly underrepresented student population.
Preference will be given to institutions focused on supporting underresourced populations of students/faculty and diverse research teams that reflect the student populations these programs are intended to serve.
Who May Serve as PI:
The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an individual of the organization holding a full-time administrative or faculty role. The PI should continue in this role for the duration of the three years of the award. Multiple PIs can be added during this time.
The PI must NOT be:
- From a country under U.S. export control or sanctions;
- A previous employee of UL Solutions, ULRI, or UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) within 12 months prior to submitting a Letter of Intent for this program.