Science Insider

A proposed restructuring of U.S. federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs would significantly raise the status of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The proposal would have ED supervise federally funded activities to enhance elementary and secondary school science education, while NSF would oversee undergraduate and graduate STEM education. The Obama administration aims to cut 78 programs and consolidate another 49, but it has proposed 13 new programs and requested 7 percent more funding for STEM education in 2014 compared to 2012 expenditures. ED's Camsie McAdams says the department has proposed an Office of STEM and expects to hire more staff to handle any new programmatic efforts, and it is depending on strong alliances with NSF and mission science agencies. "The reorganization protects the investments across all agencies that serve underrepresented groups, including ED's investments for minority-serving institutions," she notes. NSF's Joan Ferrini-Mundy notes the president's budget request contains no substantial drop in funding for programs in K-12 or informal science, and there is a strong concentration on public engagement through ED and the Smithsonian Institution's present activities. To read further, please visit news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/04/a-us-makeover-for-stem-education.html?ref=hp.