Conference: expanding the impact of project next

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded The Mathematical Association of America $131,317 on August 15, 2026, to expand the impact of Project Next through a conference-based professional development initiative under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076).

The award funds participation support for 10–25 early-career mathematical sciences faculty who face financial barriers to attendance at three national MAA conferences across two years. Project Next is an application-based program normally requiring institutions to cover registration and travel costs for selected fellows; this award provides supplemental funding to enable participation by faculty at institutions lacking the resources to sponsor their attendance. The funding targets faculty teaching at institutional types that educate a significant portion of U.S. undergraduates but whose faculty may lack access to professional development resources.

Fellows will convene at MAA national meetings to build networks and engage in evidence-based teaching practice development. Following conference participation, faculty will receive support in developing proposals to the NSF IUSE:EDU program based on their undergraduate education experiences in varied higher education contexts.

The period of performance runs through July 31, 2027. Place of performance is Washington, DC 20036. No sub-awards are planned.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by providing faculty in the mathematical sciences high-quality professional development focusing on evidence-based teaching practices through the project next (new experiences in teaching) program. The support provided by this project will offered to 10-25 early career mathematical sciences faculty who face financial barriers to attendance. Project next is an application-based program that requires an institutional commitment to pay registration and travel expenses for fellows selected into the program for 3 conferences across 2 years. Fellows that meet the eligibility criteria for project next but are unable to accept the fellowship because of lack of funding from their institution will be offered additional funding to make their participation possible. In this way the project will engage faculty who teach at institutions that make up a significant portion of students taught in the U.S. But whose faculty may lack resources to attend this professional development program. This conference seeks to utilize the mathematical association of america?s (MAA?s) network of educators and researchers to create an opportunity for 10-25 faculty to convene at MAA to convene at three national meetings to build networks and to engage in professional development that will support their work as faculty in the mathematical sciences. Faculty selected will then be supported in the development of proposals to the NSF iuse:EDU program based on their undergraduate education experiences as faculty in different contexts in higher education. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.