In the past a call like this -- focused on middle school -- would have been taboo at ONR. I would think basic electricity and electronics might be the best topic because of the Phase II requirement for use in Navy training. Basic electricity and electronics is the largest single topic in Navy training.<br>
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<h1>ONR Announces Multimillion-Dollar 'STEM Grand Challenge'</h1>
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<p>Office of Naval Research<br>Corporate Strategic Communications<br>875 N. Randolph St., #1225-D<br>Arlington, Va. 22203.1771<br>Office: (703) 696.5031<br>Fax: (703) 696.5940<br>Email: <a href="mailto:onrcsc@onr.navy.mil">onrcsc@onr.navy.mil</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.onr.navy.mil/">www.onr.navy.mil</a><br>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/officeofnavalresearch">www.facebook.com/officeofnavalresearch</a></p>
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<p>
<strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2011</strong> </p>
<p>By the Office of Naval Research </p>
<p>ALEXANDRIA, Va.— Chief of Naval Research <a href="http://www.onr.navy.mil/en/About-ONR/Leadership/carr-nevin-cnr.aspx">Rear Adm. Nevin Carr</a>
announced an incentive plan to award up to $8 million for ideas aimed
at boosting K-12 education in the sciences during a June15-16 conference
in Alexandria, Va.</p>
<p>“Today’s approaches to training and education must seek new
innovative ways to sustain America’s position as a global technology
leader,” Carr told the more than 650 government, academia and business
leaders gathered at the Naval Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) forum. </p>
<p>“I wouldn’t begin to pretend that the Navy is going to solve the
country’s STEM problem…there are others out there working very hard to
do that,” Carr continued, “but we also want to make sure we are all
intersected in a way that we can get the most out of the collective.”</p>
<p>The challenge is one of many efforts the Navy has developed to
encourage students, parents and teachers to pursue STEM education and
careers. Through its STEM initiatives, the Navy seeks to increase the
talent pool of future Sailors, naval scientists and engineers. </p>
<p>The Navy will award up to $1.5 million to each Phase One
selectee. Teams will compete to advance to Phase Two. In the second
stage, up to two teams will be awarded as much as $1 million each to
extend their Phase One success to a Navy training challenge for another
year. The technologies will be designed to meet students’ individual
learning style.</p>
<p>ONR will issue the proposal as part of its Long-Range Broad
Agency Announcement for Navy and Marine Corps science and technology
efforts. Contract awards are expected in fiscal 2012 and ONR officials
anticipate multiple awards for Phase One.</p>
<p>In Phase One, participating Grand Challenge teams must develop an
intelligent tutor, a system that uses computers and provides direct
customized instruction to augment the classroom and serve as an aid for
teaching middle to high school STEM curriculum. Teams will be evaluated
on how well they demonstrate significant student improvement in
retention, reasoning and problem solving, at an affordable cost. Based
on these results, up to two teams will be selected to advance to Phase
Two.</p>
<p>In Phase Two, selected team(s) must adapt their “tutor,” or
software, to effectively address Department of the Navy-specific
training audiences and criteria. The winning team will be able to
demonstrate a tutor that cost effectively produces significant
improvements similar to its Phase One effort. </p>
<p>For more details on the STEM Grand Challenge, contact Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Cohn at <a href="mailto:joseph.cohn@navy.mil">joseph.cohn@navy.mil</a> or Dr. Ray Perez at <a href="mailto:ray.perez@navy.mil">ray.perez@navy.mil</a>.</p>
<h3>About the Office of Naval Research</h3>
<p>The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR)
provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and
Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a
leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70
countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry
partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed,
civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval
Research Lab in Washington, D.C.</p>
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<p>KEYWORDS: Office of Naval Research, ONR, science, technology,
engineering, mathematics, STEM, Naval STEM Grand Challenge, Rear Adm.
Nevin Carr, chief of naval research, Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Cohn, Dr. Ray
Perez, intelligent tutor.</p>
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<img src="http://www.onr.navy.mil/%7E/media/Images/220x150/CNR-Carr-Naval-STEM-220x150.ashx" alt="Image - CNR Carr at Naval STEM Forum">
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<p>Office of Naval Research<br>Corporate Strategic Communications<br>875 N. Randolph St., #1225-D<br>Arlington, Va. 22203.1771<br>Office: (703) 696.5031<br>Fax: (703) 696.5940<br>Email: <a href="mailto:onrcsc@onr.navy.mil">onrcsc@onr.navy.mil</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.onr.navy.mil/">www.onr.navy.mil</a><br>Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/officeofnavalresearch">www.facebook.com/officeofnavalresearch</a></p>
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