InvenTeams grant for community problem solving invention

Posted by on December 1, 2006

[posted from RFP Bulletin]

Applications Available for Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants for High School Invention Projects
Deadline: April 27, 2007

Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams (<a href="http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/">http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/</a>) is a national grants initiative of the Lemelson-MIT Program that works to foster inventiveness among high school students. InvenTeams composed of high school students, teachers, and mentors are asked to collaboratively identify a problem that they want to solve, research the problem, and then develop a prototype invention as an in-class or extracurricular project.

InvenTeams projects have spanned many fields, from assistive devices to environmental technologies and consumer goods. Applicants are encouraged to consider the problems or needs of the world’s poorest people (those earning $2/day) in brainstorming project ideas.

Up to twenty-three grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to selected teams. Grant funding is intended for research, materials, and learning experiences related to developing the team’s invention.

High school science, mathematics, and technology teachers — or teams of teachers — at public, private, and vocational schools are eligible to apply. Intra- and inter-school collaborations are welcome to apply. Teams range in size from a small extracurricular club of five members to entire classes of thirty or more students; there are no team size requirements.

In recognition of their dedication, teachers who facilitate extracurricular invention projects can designate up to $2,000 of their grant toward a teacher’s stipend.

Applying for an InvenTeams grant is a two-tiered process: the initial application is available online each fall (for grants awarded the following academic year) and is due the following spring. Selected finalists are notified in the summer and asked to complete a final application due in September. Small project development grants (up to $500 each) are available to help develop final applications.

Visit the program’s Web site for complete program information and application procedures.

RFP Link: <a href="http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/apply.html">http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/apply.html</a>

For additional RFPs in Education, visit: <a href="http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml">http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml</a>