Research Experience for Teachers (RET) across the NNCI
The National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) will be offering teachers the opportunity to experience the excitement of nanotechnology research and to share this experience in their classrooms and with their peers.
This program will be offered to teachers by three NNCI sites: Georgia Institute of Technology (GT), the University of Minnesota (UMN), and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL).
The NNCI RET program is 7 weeks:
- 6 weeks in summer at an NNCI site
- Dates for Georgia Tech are June 16 – July 25, 2025
- 1 week during the school year which includes:
- Follow-up visit to your classroom by RET coordinators
- Sharing your experience at the annual meeting of the Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA)
- RET coordinators will also schedule an additional 3 days at the Georgia Tech campus in March 2026 for a mini-conference with participants from other sites
Objectives of the NNCI RET Program:
- Grow a multi-site cohort of educators from across the country with research experiences that reflect broad educational, industrial, and societal NSE activities and link them with the Teaching Nano and Emerging Technologies Network, part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative,
- Build upon the library of NSE educational materials developed by the NNIN and broadly disseminate these activities,
- Highlight the work of the NNCI cohort by attending state science teaching association conferences and providing a webinar on their curriculum to the Teaching Nano and Emerging Technologies Network, thereby fostering an expansive network of educators integrating NSE curriculum in their classes, and
- Encourage RET participants (RETs) to present their research in journals and professional society meetings.
NNCI RET at Georgia Tech provides:
- Stipend – $8,000
- Travel support to GSTA – up to $1,250
- Classroom materials support – $1,000
- Hands-on research experience in nanotechnology
- Faculty research advisors and graduate student mentors
- 3 hour bootcamp orientation on June 9, 2025
RET Application open February 3 – April 18, 2023
List of Summer 2025 RET Project Opportunities (coming soon)
Eligibility for Application
- Must teach in grades 9-12 or be technical college faculty
- Must teach science or technology
- Must live within commuting distance of Georgia Tech
- Contact Leslie O’Neill if you have any questions
- Application deadline – April 18, 2025
Teachers are required to:
- Complete the summer research experience
- Attend all summer meetings, workshops, and seminars
- Develop an instructional unit based on the experience
- Work with NNCI support personnel in the classroom
- Attend and participate at the Georgia Science Teachers Association’s Annual Conference
- Provide a webinar on their curriculum to the Teaching Nano and Emerging Technologies Network
NNCI Follow-up Activities and Support:
Teachers will be required to:
- Implement their lesson in their classroom with RET mentor/coordinator support
- Attend GSTA Annual Conference, share their RET experience at the SENIC booth, and present their lesson during the SENIC RET presentation
Each NNCI host site will:
- Maintain communication with participants through e-mail, LinkedIn group, and internet sharing of materials
- Visit school during lesson implementation to assist and do follow-up RET evaluation
- Provide travel to state science teaching conferences and submit NNCI RET presentation proposal