Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs

Recent Awards

McAuliffe Center Receives Awards to Engage Students in ISS Mission Experiences, and Host Professional Development in Computer Literacy

The McAuliffe Center has partnered with NASA contractor CASIS (the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) to offer simulated International Space Station (ISS) missions and ISS-focused planetarium programs to out-of-school time groups, high school classes, and schools from underserved communities. CASIS’ role as managers of the National Science Laboratory on board the ISS allows the Center unprecedented access to rare ISS resources, which will significantly enrich the Center’s Challenger Learning Center mission simulation program. Partial funding from CASIS will also allow the creation of a new interactive ISS exhibit in the lobby of the McAuliffe Center.

The Educational Development Center (EDC) has partnered with the McAuliffe Center to further advance the goals of the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN), with the goal of expanding computer literacy. MassCAN seeks to inform and inspire educators, administrators, parents, and students about the employment opportunities available in technology fields across all industries. The partnership provides sponsorship for middle school initiatives through Vertex Pharmaceuticals, while the National Science Foundation (NSF) funds efforts at the high school level. The McAuliffe Center will serve as a hub for the recruitment of teachers for enrollment in computer science-related professional development opportunities, taught by expert CS instructors.

FSU partners with Boston Children’s Hospital to conduct the Framingham State Food Study

Framingham State University and world-renowned Boston Children’s Hospital embark on a unique new partnership to conduct a state-of-the-art food study, “Dietary Composition and Energy Expenditure During Weight-Loss Maintenance.” Funded by Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI), the study promises to provide fundamental knowledge about how to design more effective approaches to the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Studies have found that many overweight and obese people can lose weight for a few months, but most have difficulty maintaining weight loss over the long-term. One explanation for the poor long-term outcome of conventional diets is that weight loss causes biological adaptations that promote weight re-gain. This partnership will conduct research over the period of three full academic years and will focus on dietary effects on insulin resistance, cortisol excretion, and other chronic disease risk factors to yield definitive results supporting prior study’s findings.

College Planning Center Receives Sudbury Foundation Grant Award

In partnership with MassBay Community College, Framingham State University has received a generous grant from the Sudbury Foundation to fund the development of a strategic marketing plan for the new MetroWest College Planning Center (CPC) and to evaluate the program after one year. The mission of the CPC is to provide the necessary outreach, training, and advising to connect with youth in the region, guide them on their desired educational course, and help them develop specialization for skills training at the community college level, or to acquire an associate’s degree, Mass. Transfer, or completion of a four-year degree. With the support of the Sudbury Foundation, the CPC will be able to create an effective strategic business plan for long-term success and sustainability of the project. They will establish a detailed, comprehensive marketing strategy for at-risk youth, under-represented minorities, and first-generation college students. After one year they will produce an evaluation of the program to ensure measurable impact and the ability to make adjustments if projected outcomes are not achieved.

NEH/ALA Grant Will Celebrate 500 Years of Latino American History

Framingham State University has been selected to receive a competitive Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA). With the award, FSU will hold public programming about Latino history and culture. FSU will also receive the six-part, NEH-supported documentary film “Latino Americans,” the award-winning series which chronicles the history of Latinos in the United States. Events will include:

• A reading at the Framingham Public Library of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, by author, Jennifer De Leon.
• A student visit to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
• Screenings of two episodes of “Latino Americans,” followed by scholar-led discussions.
• A reception in celebration of the grant on October 9, at FSU’s The Whittemore Library. Mario Quiroz’s photographic exhibition on Latin American immigration to the U.S. will be on display, and a Latino acoustic performance by singer and musician Maura Mendoza will accompany the exhibit.