Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Computing and Communication Foundations awarded $599,496 to the University of North Texas on May 15, 2026, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to establish a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site. The project delivers a teacher-researcher co-design model in which ten high school teachers annually participate in six-week artificial intelligence (AI) research experiences at UNT's Denton, Texas campus through April 30, 2029. The primary deliverable is the development of adaptive AI tools specifically designed to improve how computational thinking and AI are taught in high schools, created through genuine collaborative partnerships between teachers and university faculty. By positioning teachers as active AI co-creators rather than research participants, the project ensures that resulting educational tools reflect authentic classroom needs and pedagogical expertise.

Beyond the summer research experience, the award funds continued institutional support to help participating teachers translate research knowledge into sustained classroom practice, addressing a critical gap in traditional RET programs where fewer than 40% of participants implement what they learn. The project generates both practical educational products—classroom-ready AI tools and teacher mentorship capabilities in AI and computational thinking—and theoretical knowledge to advance understanding of effective teacher-researcher collaboration models in STEM education.