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The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program has grant funding opportunities available to support CTE and STEM technician program development. NSF-ATE grant funding opportunities are intended to help educators develop or improve their 2-year technician programs. Proposals may focus on program, curriculum, and educational materials development, program improvement, faculty professional development, teacher preparation, career pathways, outreach activities, undergraduate research experiences, internships, apprenticeships, and more. Partnerships with universities, colleges, and 7-12 institutions in support of workforce development are encouraged. Industry partnerships are essential for NSF-ATE projects. NSF-ATE supports Emerging Technologies and technologies such as Biotechnology, Engineering, Energy, Environmental, Agricultural, Advanced Manufacturing, Micro/Nano Technologies, Information, Security, and Geospatial. Multiple categories of NSF-ATE grant funding are available including Projects, Small Projects for Institutions New to ATE, Applied Research on Technician Education, National Centers, and Resource Centers. The new NSF-ATE solicitation (NSF 21-598) was released in 2021 and includes higher funding levels and multiple categories of grant funding opportunities, including a new Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education. NSF-ATE has some helpful resources for educators planning to develop or improve their courses or programs. Mentoring opportunities for grant proposal development are available through multiple projects such as Mentor-Connect, MNT-EC (Micro Nano Technology Education Center), Mentor Up, Project Vision, Pathways to Innovation, CCPISTEM, and FORCCE-ATE. Each of these projects has a unique approach and a different focus to help their mentees successfully submit NSF-ATE grant proposals. 

The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program has grant funding opportunities available to support CTE and STEM technician program development. NSF-ATE grant funding opportunities are intended to help educators develop or improve their 2-year technician programs. Proposals may focus on program, curriculum, and educational materials development, program improvement, faculty professional development, teacher preparation, career pathways, outreach activities, undergraduate research experiences, internships, apprenticeships, and more. Partnerships with universities, colleges, and 7-12 institutions in support of workforce development are encouraged. Industry partnerships are essential for NSF-ATE projects. NSF-ATE supports Emerging Technologies and technologies such as Biotechnology, Engineering, Energy, Environmental, Agricultural, Advanced Manufacturing, Micro/Nano Technologies, Information, Security, and Geospatial. Multiple categories of NSF-ATE grant funding are available including Projects, Small Projects for Institutions New to ATE, Applied Research on Technician Education, National Centers, and Resource Centers. The new NSF-ATE solicitation (NSF 21-598) was released in 2021 and includes higher funding levels and multiple categories of grant funding opportunities, including a new Consortia for Innovations in Technician Education. NSF-ATE has some helpful resources for educators planning to develop or improve their courses or programs. Mentoring opportunities for grant proposal development are available through multiple projects such as Mentor-Connect, MNT-EC (Micro Nano Technology Education Center), Mentor Up, Project Vision, Pathways to Innovation, CCPISTEM, and FORCCE-ATE. Each of these projects has a unique approach and a different focus to help their mentees successfully submit NSF-ATE grant proposals. 

In this work, we analyze the lessons learned from the CoVid-19 pandemic and the prospects of the science education that evolved as a result of the pandemic. The two primary shortcomings that arose during the pandemic include: the poor presence of cross-boundary and interdisciplinary research as evidenced by the urgency in establishing cross-boundary research groups in the early days of the pandemic, and the lack of understanding of the scientific method in the general public as evidenced, for example, by the worldwide Hydroxychloroquine events of 2020. An effective approach to solving these shortcomings is increasing innovative research at the two-year tertiary education level. The focus of continuing technical education will shift towards technologies that provide self-sufficiency, such as artificial intelligence, intelligent robotics, augmented reality, digital twins, and additive manufacturing. These features likely constitute the cornerstone of the upcoming science education paradigm, which we denominate “STEM 3.0”.