Funding Opportunities
STEM Grants
Toshiba American Foundation Grants
- Deadline: Rolling
- Toshiba America Foundation
- Grants from $1,000 to $5,000 for math and science classrooms.
National Science Teacher Association Awards and Recognition
- This award honors one female student in grades 5–8, who is involved in or has a strong connection to science. The award has been established in honor of Gerry Wheeler, Executive Director Emeritus, and his outstanding dedication to NSTA and lifelong commitment to science education.
- Eligibility: Any female student in grades 5–8 who is a resident of the United States, US Territories, or Canada, and is enrolled in full time public, private, or home school. NSTA employees, NSTA Board and Council members, award judges, and their immediate families are NOT eligible to apply.
- Award: $1,000 US EE Savings Bond or Canadian Savings Bond purchased for the equivalent iss
Corteva Agriscience Excellence in Agricultural Science Education Award
- A partnership with Corteva and the National Science Teaching Association, this award is to recognize excellence and innovation in the field of agricultural science education.
- Eligibility: This award is open to any K–12 science teacher who incorporates innovative agricultural science activities into their existing science curriculum.
- Award: One award will be awarded annually. The awardee will receive a $2500 grant for their classroom/program, $1000 travel expenses to attend the NSTA national conference on science education, mentoring with a Corteva scientist, classroom resources from Corteva, and access to a Corteva product plant or research facility. The awardee will be presented the award at the Teacher Awards Banquet at the National Conference.
Distinguished Informal Science Education Awards
- These awards honor NSTA members who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of science education in an informal or nontraditional school setting, such as a science-technology center, museum, or community science center.
- Eligibility: NSTA members who are not classroom teachers and who have demonstrated their dedication to informal science education
- Award: Formal citation, three nights hotel accommodation, and $500 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference
Distinguished Service to Science Education Awards
- These awards honor NSTA members who, through active leadership and scholarly endeavor over a significant period of time, have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of education in the sciences and science teaching.
- Eligibility: NSTA members who have shown long-term dedication to science education
- Award: Formal citation, three nights hotel accommodation, and up to $500 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference
- This award honors NSTA members who are teachers that have made extraordinary contributions to the field of science teaching.
- Eligibility: K–college-level teachers
- Award: Formal citation, three nights hotel accommodation, and $500 toward expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference
Maitland P. Simmons Memorial award for New Teachers
- The Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers provides selected K12 teachers (up to 25) in their first five years of teaching with funds to attend the annual National Conference on Science Education. Award recipients will be mentored, tracked, and provided with continuing opportunities for meaningful involvement with NSTA and its activities.
- Eligibility: To be eligible, a teacher must be within the first five years full-time at the time of application and be an NSTA member in good standing; to the extent possible, recipients must have been a student member of NSTA as a preservice teacher
- Award: The award consists of up to $1,000 to be used to attend the annual National Conference; recipients will be invited to attend a variety of workshops and presentations that are of particular interest to new teachers at the annual National Conference
Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award
- The Ron Mardigian Memorial Bio-Rad Explorer Award will recognize and reward an outstanding high school teacher who has made biotechnology learning accessible to the classroom. This award has been established in memory of Ron Mardigian, the inspiration behind and founder of the Biotechnology Explorer program.
- Eligibility: High school
- Award: The award will consist of $1,000 toward expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference and $2,500 in Bio-Rad products. The awardee will be honored at the Awards Banquet; the awardee and one teacher guest of the awardee will be invited to dinner with members of Bio-Rad's Explorer team.
Northrop Grumman Foundation Excellence in Engineering Education Award
- A partnership with Northrop Grumman Foundation and the National Science Teaching Association, this award is to recognize excellence in the field of engineering education. NSTA and the Northrop Grumman Foundation recognize the importance of integrating high-quality engineering instruction into the science classroom and the critical need for making students proficient in the practices used by engineers in the field. See the NSTA Position Statement on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Section II Conceptual Shifts in the NGSS. One award will be awarded annually.
- Eligibility: The applicant must be a K–12 public school science/technology teacher. Individuals must have a minimum of 3 years' teaching experience. Awardees will have exhibited excellence in engineering science education.
- Award: The award consists of $5000 for classroom materials and equipment, a cash prize of $3000, and $2000 to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education. The awardee will be presented the award at the Teacher Awards Banquet at the National Conference.
- This award recognizes NSTA members who have made extraordinary contributions to science education through personal commitment to education, specifically science teaching or science; educational endeavors and original work that position recipients as exemplary leaders in their field; significant contributions to the profession that reflect dedication to NSTA as well the entire educational community.
- Eligibility: This award is open to longstanding (at least 10 years) NSTA members
- Award: Awardees will be recognized at the NSTA Awards Banquet in conjunction with the NSTA National Conference and receive one night's lodging.
- This NSTA award posthumously recognizes long-standing members of NSTA for significant lifelong service to NSTA and contributions to science education.
- Eligibility: This award is open to long-standing members of NSTA (minimum 15 years) who have been deceased for no more than 10 years; an individual may be nominated within ten (10) years after their death; however, there may be variances to these criteria; the NSTA Awards and Recognitions Committee should be consulted in writing prior to recommending an individual more than ten (10) years after their death
- Award: One or more individuals may be selected by the NSTA Awards and Recognitions Committee to be honored at the annual Awards Banquet during the NSTA National Conference; a plaque will be presented to the family of the honoree; NSTA will provide two nights' lodging, and up to $500 towards travel expenses for a family member to attend the NSTA National Conference; a permanent Legacy Award display, located at the NSTA headquarters, will include the honoree’s name.
Robert E. Yager Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award
- The Robert E. Yager Exemplary Teaching Award will recognize six (6) full-time K–12 teachers of science who successfully use innovation and excellence in their classroom.
- Eligibility: K-12 science teachers residing in NSTA's districts.
- Award: $1,000 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education, and $1,000 for the awardee. Six awardees will be selected annually. They will present at the NSTA National Conference on Science Education. The awardees will be invited to attend and present at their grade band share-a-thon at the National Conference, attend the district director meet-and-greet, attend and participate in their NSTA District Director Leadership retreat. The awardee will be presented the award at the Teacher Awards Banquet at the National Conference.
Robert H. Carleton Award for National Leadership in the Field of Science Education
- This is the most prestigious award an NSTA member can receive. The Robert H. Carleton Award recognizes one individual who has made outstanding contributions to, and provided leadership in, science education at the national level and to NSTA in particular. It is NSTA's highest honor.
- Eligibility: NSTA members who are K–college-level science educators
- Award: $5,000, a formal citation, and an all-expenses-paid trip to NSTA's National Conference
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year
- The SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Environmental Excellence Awards recognizes the outstanding efforts of students, teachers, and community leaders across the country who are working at the grass roots level to protect and preserve the environment.
- Eligibility: The Environmental Excellence Awards has expanded its reach to larger audiences to recognize the efforts of schools, youth groups, individuals and companies working to make a difference.
- Award: $10,000 and an expense-paid trip to attend the NSTA National Conference.
- This award recognizes one outstanding classroom science teacher (K-12) who has had a positive impact on his or her students, school, and community through exemplary classroom science teaching.
- Eligibility: K-12 classroom science teachers
- Award: $10,000 and an all-expense paid trip to attend NSTA's National Conference; two finalists will also receive all-expense-paid trips to the conference
Shell Urban Science Educators Development Award
- This award provides support to seven diverse educators in pursuit of professional development, and serves to increase the science educator talent pool of minority educators to meet the education work force challenge of the future.
- Eligibility: K-12 classroom science teachers in an urban setting. Classroom science teachers at the elementary, middle or high school level who are part of underrepresented ethnic groups are eligible
- Award: $1,800 to be used to attend the annual NSTA National Conference on Science Education. Recipients will be invited to attend a variety of workshops and presentations that are of particular interest to urban teachers at the annual National Conference.
Sylvia Shugrue Award for Elementary School Teachers
- This award honors one elementary school teacher who has established (or is establishing) an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based lesson plan. The lesson plan will fully reference sources of information and any relevant National Science Education Standards and benchmarks found in the Atlas of Science Literacy.
- Eligibility: Elementary school teachers (grades K-6); applicants must be a full-time teacher with a minimum of five years of experience
- Award: The award consists of $1,000 and up to $500 to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education; the recipient of the award will be honored during the Awards Banquet at the NSTA Conference
- A partnership of Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), this award recognizes the innovative use, or potential use, of data-collection technology (e.g. probes or sensors) interfacing with a computer, graphing calculator, or handheld in the science classroom. Seven awards will be presented in the following categories: one elementary (grades K–5) award; two middle level (grades 6–8) awards; three high school (grades 9–12) awards; and one college award.
- Eligibility: Teachers of science in grades K–college classrooms, that reside in an NSTA district. Applicants may not have won previously at their school.
- Award: The award consists of a $1,000 cash prize; $3,000 in Vernier products; and up to $1,500 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education. Awardees will be honored at the Awards Banquet during the NSTA conference.