National Defense Education Program (NDEP)
Abstract
The purpose of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) is to attract, engage, and develop current and future generations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent to benefit the Department of Defense (DoD) mission. NDEP is DoD’s primary program to execute high quality, experiential STEM efforts for pre-Kindergarten-12th Grade (PK-12) students through world-class researchers to address DoD’s STEM workforce needs, and to provide current and future scientific and technological capabilities. NDEP initiatives align with the four priority areas of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Committee on STEM Education (CoSTEM) Federal Five-Year STEM Strategic Plan: STEM teacher training, groups underrepresented in STEM, STEM undergraduate education, and STEM engagement. NDEP consists of three components: (1) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART); (2) the National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship (NSSEFF); and (3) pre-Kindergarten-12th Grade (PK-12). NDEP aligns to the Science and Technology (S&T) priorities and emerging scientific research areas, the integrated STEM/Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) synchronized with the Federal Five-Year STEM Strategic Plan, the DoD STEM Strategic Plan and the in-progress DoD Strategic Workforce Plan. NDEP components are guided and informed by the Office of Management and Budget’s “Use of Evidence and Evaluation in the 2014” memorandum and consistent with Government Accountability Office guidance on assessment and evaluation practices. SMART awards highly competitive scholarships-for-service to undergraduate and graduate students in 19 academic STEM disciplines and moves graduates directly into DoD's workforce following graduation. Internships provide SMART scholars with an opportunity to engage in hands-on research and work experiences in DoD labs, thereby enhancing their educational experience and building a public service commitment to the Department’s mission. Since its inception as a pilot program in FY 2005, SMART has supported approximately 1,130 students from bachelor’s to doctoral levels and to date approximately 550 have completed program studies and transitioned into the DoD workforce. SMART ensures that DoD has a steady infusion of highly educated, high caliber U.S. technical talent, prepared in areas of critical importance to DoD, ready to apply their technical knowledge, skills, and abilities to help DoD fulfill its mission. NSSEFF supports 29 world-class researchers (NSSEFF Fellows) in areas of critical importance to DoD and ensures the cultivation of exceptional future talent. The NSSEFF Fellows work with approximately 100 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, and 100 post-doctoral scholars at their respective academic institutions. Three cohorts of NSSEFF Fellows, with the first selected in FY 2008, have provided critical connections between academia and the DoD science and engineering enterprise. Fellows’ work spans all seven DoD S&T priorities and the six emerging scientific research areas. NSSEFF Fellows serve as speakers at DoD events, reviewers on panels for DoD science, and as collaborators with scientists and engineers at DoD’s laboratories and other research facilities. NDEP PK-12 engages, develops, and attracts STEM talent for future DoD military and civilian workforce needs via 68 local sites and nine national organizations. NDEP PK-12 leverages the DoD’s STEM expertise to connect students, teachers, schools, and public sector and industry partners with DoD subject matter experts (SMEs) primarily in those communities adjacent to DoD laboratories and bases where the talent pool resides. Authentic STEM experiences for teachers and students include hands-on activities that are aligned with DoD’s technical workforce requirements. Since FY 2007, NDEP PK-12 has increased the number of DoD facilities that directly engage local education authorities (LEAs) to: (1) build student interest in STEM fields and disciplines and in careers specific to DoD; (2) develop DoD-relevant science, engineering and mathematics skills; and (3) provide future talent to fulfill DoD’s demand for highly skilled STEM professionals. NDEP PK-12 has utilized 4,100 exceptional DoD STEM professionals to reach 500,000 students and 8,300 teachers in 30 states. As one specific example, DoD SMEs contributed over 8,000 hours to lead FIRST Robotics Competition teams, with over 90 percent of team members reporting that the hands-on experience taught them about how science and technology can be used to solve real-world science and engineering problems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2014
- Source ID
- P120_0601120D8Z_1_0400_PB_2014
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