How much funding is available to schools for mini-grants?
Mini grants can be awarded in amounts of up to $500 per SCITEC Network school.

What activities or supplies can be funded under a mini-grant?
Projects funded as mini-grants must satisfy three criteria:
1. Projects must support one or more of the SCITEC goals
2. Projects must contribute to enhancing student opportunities to achieve SCITEC’s targeted Learning Results, and
3. Projects must support SCITEC-related professional development for one or more teachers in a SCITEC school. Mini-grant funds are disbursed with the intent of supporting teachers’ professional development in the SCITEC program. Projects that do this may or may not include student activities, but must satisfy the criteria listed above. As an example, funded projects may include student activities if the main work funded by the mini-grant project is linked to teacher professional development. Under this measure, a project that involved substantially altering a lesson to align with the Learning Results for engineering and technological design would qualify if it clearly supported a teacher’s learning of SCITEC-related content or pedagogy.

What are the criteria for review of mini-grant proposals?
Mini-grant proposals will be reviewed according to how well they support the SCITEC project goals, the degree to which they support teachers in providing effective opportunities for students to achieve SCITEC-targeted Learning Results, and their potential for sustainability beyond the period of the grant. Projects that can demonstrate tangible effects into the future or contribution to extended efforts aligned to SCITEC goals will be looked upon favorably. Mini-grant proposals needing revisions to better match these criteria may be accepted on condition of successful proposal revision.

What cannot be supported with mini-grant funds?
Projects that do not have a substantial link to SCITEC goals or targeted Learning Results cannot be supported under mini-grant funds. Likewise, projects that do not support teachers’ professional development toward SCITEC goals are unable to be funded. Thus, projects such as sending a group of students and parents sponsors to an engineering competition, funding a college visit or extracurricular group that did not involve a SCITEC teacher, or purchasing materials for student use in a project that did not significantly engage a teacher in work toward SCITEC goals would all be unlikely to be funded.

Can two or more schools submit a proposal together for a project?
Yes. Schools may submit joint proposals for amounts up to the combination of their allotted mini-grant funds. Joint projects should satisfy the listed criteria and involve at least one teacher from each of the submitting schools. Only one application need be submitted for a joint project proposal, but all teachers and schools involved should be listed on the application.

Can I be part of more than one mini-grant project? Teachers may be involved in more than one mini-grant. This can take place when a teacher submits multiple proposals for projects less than their school’s allotment, or when a teacher submits a small proposal for his or her school, and then proposes a joint project to combine the remaining available funds with another school’s.

When are mini-grant applications due?
Mini-grant applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Any funds remaining unawarded after these proposals are reviewed may be disbursed in a manner exceeding the original $500 amount per school. These funds may be awarded to already-submitted proposals or opened to new proposals at MMSA’s discretion.

How are mini-grants submitted? Mini-grants may be submitted electronically to Lynn Farrin, via mail to Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, Attn: Lynn Farrin, P.O. Box 5359, Augusta, ME 04330 or via FAX to (207) 287-5885.

How are mini-grant funds disbursed?
Once a mini-grant application has been accepted, project funds will be granted by MMSA to the district business office as a lump sum earmarked for the work of the funded project.

What follow-up responsibilities are involved with a funded project? Leaders of projects funded under mini-grants will be responsible for submitting a brief project report describing the project activities, detailing how the project funds were spent and evaluating the project’s success. Project reports for mini-grants will be due on or before May 22, 2009.

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