NSF Announces Winners of Community College Innovation Challenge, Releases RFI for Next Round of Competition

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the winning teams of its first Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) – a competition that challenged teams of community college students to propose innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based solutions to real-world problems. The Red Foxes, from Red Rocks Community College (CO), placed first in the challenge with its innovative Mobile Medical Disaster Relief Dispensation Unit. Ivy Tech Biotech from Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana placed second with the Betadataquantadata – a hand-held, lay person-operated biosensor for coliphage. The top-ranked teams were decided after 10 finalist teams participated in a rigorous, week-long innovation boot camp held in Washington, D.C., during June. Other finalists proposed solutions in areas such as big data, infrastructure security, sustainability and broadening participation in STEM. Read the announcement…

NSF recently released a request for information (RFI) on the proper metrics for evaluating the CCIC as well as methods to collect data for this round and potentially future rounds of the CCIC. NSF intends to collect data that will help to monitor the outputs and short-, intermediate- and long-term outcomes from participation by community college students in the CCIC. This can include economic and workforce-related outcomes. Comments are due September 18. Read the RFI…