Current Programs

The NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium (PRSGC) enhances local research and education capabilities in NASA-related fields and contributes to the Nation's Science and Technology enterprise by capitalizing on the institutional and human capital available on the Island.

PRSGC resides in the Resource Center for Science and Engineering, with the Central Administration of the University of Puerto Rico as the Lead Institution and 14 public and private affiliate institutions.

The Consortium implements a research and education agenda relevant to Puerto Rico and NASA and disseminates knowledge about the NASA mission and the associated opportunities available for students, teachers, professors and researchers. By improving the quality and relevance of research and education on the Island, PRSGC helps expand and nurture a diversified and sophisticated workforce capable of contributing to meeting the needs of our Nation.

Affiliates include the University of Puerto Rico System; the Ana G. Mendez University System; the Arecibo Observatory, Inter American University at Bayamón; the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico; Pontifical Catholic University of P.R.; Puerto Rico Astronomical Society; Puerto Rico Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and Univision Puerto Rico. The project’s website is http://prnasa.org.

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Instituto 2000 - Instituto 2000 provides professional development activities to science and math teachers in Puerto Rico's public school system. Coordinated by the Resource Center for Science and Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico, the Institute's project are funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Education, though the No Child Left Behind Act of the Elemental and Secondary Education Law of 1965, Title II, Part A "Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund" and Title IV, Part B, "21st Century Community Learning Center". The main objective of the Institute 2000 is to promote an effective school culture that will support the Science and Mathematics Educational reform. At the end of 2004, the Institute had impacted a total of 16,000 teachers and 2,000 students at all academic levels within the public school system. The second programmatic emphasis of the Institute is the "Initiatives to Promote the Transformation of School Cultures". These Initiatives focus on building learning communities, which are characterized by the following:

• Inter-disciplinary curricular integration

• Professional support for principals, superintendents, science and math facilitators

• The integration of parents into the learning process at the classroom level

• The effective integration of the technology and research as tools of education-learning

• Used innovative learning strategies, such as "Project Based Learning" and "Project Service" to design a curricular unit to reinforce concepts in science, math, Spanish and social studies

• Have professors of high academic preparation and excellent human quality

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Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PR-LSAMP) - The Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PR-LSAMP) Phase IV, is a collaborative between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) system and two private universities -- Inter-American University System (IAU)b and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (PCUPR). Created in 1991, PR-LSAMP aims at increasing the number of students who successfully complete a baccalaureate degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and pursue and complete a graduate degree in a STEM-related field. During the first three Phases of PR-LSAMP (1991 to 2006), undergraduate STEM enrollment at participating institutions increased from 12,572 to 27,993 in 2005. During this same period of time, institutions awarded 42,073 BS degrees, and the annual degree production increased from 1,709 in 1991 to 3,124 in 2006, placing PR-LSAMP institutions as the Nation’s leading producer of Hispanic STEM BS degree recipients. This accomplishment was stimulated by a two-prong approach: (1) increasing enrollment in STEM disciplines, and (2) improving retention and graduation rates by implementing a series of strategies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of STEM programs.

PR-LSAMP Phase IV activities:

• Enhancing Students Knowledge and Skills for Graduate Studies

• A Mentored Undergraduate Research Experience, including an annual local scientific forum for students to present their research projects, and travel stipends to present research projects at national conferences

• A Role Model Series to expose students to successful professionals in science and engineering fields

• The Annual Best Practices Conference on Teaching and Learning to continue to expose STEM faculty to successful strategies to improve the teaching process.

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Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) - The main goal of this project is to increase the productivity of the University of Puerto Rico PhD programs in Biology, Chemistry, Chemical-Physics, Marine Sciences, and Civil Engineering. Minority enrollment in these programs will be increased by 30% . The main strategy is a continuum of support activities for the transition into, and completion of PhD studies, beginning with the recruitment of undergraduate students who are in research, and support during the first year of graduate studies through a bridging seminar and peer mentors. To increase candidates for academic careers and future role models for minority students, a Teaching Assistantship Training Program has been created. Students participate in the Increasing Scholarly Productivity Program to support their elaboration of dissertations, scientific publications and presentations.

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The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) - EPSCoR is a science and technology research and development program within seven federal agencies. The importance of EPSCoR lies in the distribution of R&D funds to talented researchers at universities and nonprofit organizations in areas that have historically not received significant Federal R&D funding. These areas include 18 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. EPSCoR helps researchers, institutions and regions improve the quality and capability of their research in order to compete more effectively for non-EPSCoR research funds. EPSCoR promotes economic development within Puerto Rico by fostering collaborative agreements between industry and academia. By enhancing research capability, developing industry-university collaborations and improving the abilities of our human resources, EPSCoR funding allows students and residents of participating jurisdictions to enjoy access to high-quality education, frontline research and jobs that become available with an active and competitive R&D base. The PR-EPSCoR project, coupled with the development of Puerto Rico ’s scientific community, will enable the island to become an international center of research capable of stimulating its own socio-economic development and infrastructure. Since its inception in 1985 through 2005, PR-EPSCoR has received over $76 million.

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 Past Programs

Puerto Rico Development for Distance Learning Program (PR-DDLP) - The This proposal will create a professional development program to enhance the content knowledge and teaching strategies of 1,000 K-12 science and mathematics teachers throughout Puerto Rico and the mainland in alignment with national standards. The focus of the professional development will be on the strengthening of content mastery and teaching of key concepts in which needs have been identified among the teaching workforce. The program will be offered through distance learning technologies, i.e. videoconferencing, WWW, and email. Taking advantage of the T1 networking infrastructure capabilities available in the K-12 school system, and the Virtual Classrooms established in the 11 campuses of the University of Puerto Rico system, the RCSE will address major areas of need for professional development identified in the teaching workforce that are crucial for the advancement and sustainability of the ongoing reform led by the NSF funded Puerto Rico Statewide Systemic Initiative (PR-SSI). One of the key features of the program will be the integration of high-level learning computer technologies (mindtools) to prepare participants in the use of these tools to enhance the teaching and learning process. The proposed program constitutes a pioneer strategy on the Island to strengthen the quality of in-service professional enhancement to meet the Island's educational goals and the K-12 science and mathematics standards set forth through the PR-SSI.

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Partnership for Innovation (PFI) to Enhance Puerto Rico's Economic Development - The University of Puerto Rico System leads this partnership which includes major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and electronic industries, universities, state government agencies and various private and entrepreneurial organizations including venture capitalists and incubator facilitators. The goals for this recently approved project: create curricular materials and programs that will nurture the development of young local entrepreneurs to help reduce PR Science and Technology brain drain and increase the number of high-tech start-ups in Puerto Rico; contribute to the implementation of PR’s Science and Technology Policy and its strategic plan by providing guidance to and forging partnerships between academic to accelerate innovation and technology transfer in PR; Enhance and promote communication and the transfer of knowledge and know-how between the academic and industrial sector needed for successful innovation, and develop the infrastructure necessary to accelerate the conversion of innovation into economic development.

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PR-Statewide Systemic Initiative (PRSSI) - The central goal of PR-SSI was to transform the K-12 science and mathematics educational system to provide all K-12 students with high quality, standards-based education. Major accomplishments were: (1) the elaboration and dissemination of educational standards for K-12 science and for mathematics aligned with those of the National Council of Mathematics Teachers (NCTM) and the National Research Council (NRC), the AAAS Project 2061 Benchmarks, and the precepts of the National Teachers Association (NSTA); (2) the development of curricular frameworks for K-12 mathematics and science which are aligned with national and local standards; (3) the design of conceptually-driven, inquiry-based model science and mathematics curricular programs for K-9, and curricular models for the high school level which are aligned with the national standards; (4) the design of authentic assessment methods aligned with the standards-based curricula which are integrated into the teaching/learning process; (5) the development of a whole school approach to implement standards-based curricula and empower schools to transform the teaching/learning culture; (6) the establishment of 30 school-based Regional Professional Development and Dissemination Centers geographically distributed throughout the Island to scale-up the reform, where teams of exemplary teachers and university faculty offer academic and technical assistance; (7) the creation of a Three-Tiered Student Assessment Model to measure the progress of the reform which includes assessment strategies that are aligned with NAEP and TIMSS; (8) the development of a collaborative project with the New York City School System to adopt the PR-SSI reform in that system; (9) the development of Professional Standards for Teachers of Science and Mathematics that are aligned with national standards; (10) creation of a pilot induction program for novice science and mathematics teachers with exemplary teacher mentors; and (11) the support of pilot science and education faculty initiatives for the improvement of teacher preparation courses in alignment with K-12 educational reform and national standards PR-SSI and PR-LSAMP served as the foundation for the development of the Puerto Rico Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (PR-CETP).

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Puerto Rico Advanced Technological Education (PR-ATE) - The central goal of this project was to strengthen the preparation of Hispanics, both in Puerto Rico and the mainland, in the field of electronics at the secondary, associate degree and baccalaureate levels to meet the national standards in electronics education, through curricular enhancement, teacher and faculty development and experiences in industry. This goal was achieved by: (1) the development of Web-based interactive curricular modules to promote higher level learning in areas of electronics content to ensure mastery of key knowledge and skills in electronics; (2) the development of a faculty enhancement program that prepares educators in the field of electronics in effective (cognitive) teaching strategies, integration of Web-based modules in the curriculum, and key areas of content in advanced electronics; (3) offering field opportunities in the electronics industry to students and faculty to gain first hand knowledge and skills of key applications and specialized techniques through hands-on learning experiences, to reinforce mastery of national skill standards; (4) strengthening collaborative ties among secondary schools, two- and four-year colleges, and industry to ensure a smooth transition among educational levels. This project benefited over 3,000 students from secondary to undergraduate level, and over 100 faculty members from participating academic institutions.

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Puerto Rico Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (PR-CETP) - The six leading institutions who prepare close to 90% of K-12 science and mathematics teachers on the  Island worked at reforming their teacher preparation programs to ensure the optimal alignment of these programs with the K-12 PR-SSI standards-based reform. The PR-CETP articulated curricular reform, faculty enhancement, student support components to promote a coherent continuum in the experience of teacher preparation from recruitment to induction into teaching. The emphasis of the reform was to articulate the learning of science and mathematics content with effective inquiry-based teaching methodologies. Faculty, K-12 science and mathematics teachers from the PR-SSI, and teacher preparation students worked collaboratively in interinstitutional teams to pilot, implement, and disseminate the innovations and transformation of teacher preparation programs. Academic leaders from all institutions and the PR Department of Education are developed institutional policies to support and institutionalize the reform, including the alignment of state teacher certification requirements in science and mathematics.

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Puerto Rico Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) - Graduate students in STEM fields were provided with fellowships and trained as professional development resources to train K-12 teachers participating in PR-SSI. Students were selected from UPR graduate STEM programs and provided with an intensive training program in the PR-SSI, to provide professional development activities as well as on-site academic assistance to K-12 science and mathematics teachers to implement the standards-based curriculum, with emphasis on the scientific soundness of key concepts, incorporation of technology into the classroom, and assessment of student learning. Each fellow provided a minimum of 10 hours of services each week to teachers within their assigned regions. Teachers needs were identified and coordinated with the services that are provided by fellows.

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