In our quest to keep up with technology and the rest of the world, STEM education is increasingly important to Americans. Standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEM represents a pressing funding need for K-12 education, college, and beyond.

GrantProse recently researched resources for STEM interests and found a variety of funding agencies that offer grants and awards to schools, programs, teachers, and students.

Federal Funds

The lion's share of federal grants for STEM education comes from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. The recently passed omnibus spending bill maintained or increased appropriations for existing K-12 STEM education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, but funding for proposed new programs was not approved. DOE's Green Strides page lists many of its STEM programs, including the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, which appears on DOE's 2014 funding forecast.

The spending bill increased funding for the National Science Foundation's already-extensive education offerings. The home page for NSF's search engine lists special programs for various groups (undergrad and graduate students, K-12 educators, etc.), as well as opportunities for program areas. The dropdown menu for active funding opportunities filters opportunities by organization; clicking on Education (EHR) yields dozens of active grants.

Other agencies that fund STEM education include the Department of Labor, whose recently ended Youth CareerConnect competition will award up to 40 grants to provide students job-relevant training in STEM fields and in-demand industries. In 2014, the Institute of Museum and Library Services will emphasize funding for STEM programming to reach at-risk youth. Check our daily Grant Alerts for new opportunities from federal agencies.

Foundations, Associations, Corporations

Many foundations offer smaller STEM grants targeted at educators and classrooms; others offer equipment or programs. Toshiba America Foundation, for example, makes awards of $5,000 to Grades 6-12 educators, and $1,000 to K-5 teachers for hands-on math and science classroom projects. Microsoft runs free "high tech" camps for girls at locations around the U.S. and the world. The National Science Teachers Association co-sponsors several competitions for science teachers and students, and makes numerous awards to educators. In North Carolina, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund conducts a grant program featuring science education.

Keeping Up

A number of agencies and individuals post news about STEM education and funding; here is a short list:

• STEMgrants.com (@STEMGrants)
• NC STEM Learning Network (@NCSTEM)
• The STEM Education Coalition (@StemEdCoalition)
• On Twitter: @stemeducation, @changeequation, @STEMEdCenter  

Visit the GrantProse resources page to download our STEM Education Resources Guide, with more funding possibilities and a list of STEM resources for educators and students.  

To kick off its spring grant cycle, NC IDEA is conducting information sessions across the state through February 18. Grant hopefuls may register for an overview of the process and eligibility criteria for IDEA grants, awarded each cycle to 4-6 high-tech NC startups. NC IDEA also provides business coaching by appointment for NC-based entrepreneurs and tech-sector startups during Friday-morning office hours at its Durham office.

The U.S. Department of Education has released its new funding forecast for 2014. Among the programs the department expects to fund during the coming year: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Grants, grants for charter school development, and the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program.