Tensor SUMMA Grants – 柠檬导航

Funded by the Tensor Foundation, the Tensor Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematics Achievement (SUMMA) Grants support initiatives aimed at fostering a love for mathematics among students from historically underrepresented groups. These groups include Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students. The grants support projects for middle school, high school, and college/university students.

Each year, we welcome proposals from college and university mathematical sciences faculty, often in collaboration with middle and high school math teachers. These projects are designed to offer enriching mathematical experiences beyond the standard curriculum. Middle and high school teachers are strongly encouraged to partner with college and university faculty to develop proposals that will benefit their students.

Funding Details

Up to $6,000 in grants will be made to the project director's institution/organization for a one-year project.
In-kind institutional support is expected as an indication of commitment to the project. No indirect costs or fringe benefits are supported.
Applications will be accepted from college and university mathematical sciences faculty at accredited US (including US Territory), or Canadian AUCC-member institutions.聽Faculty must be working with high school or middle school mathematics faculty if the project targets those students, but the college/university must be the fiscal agent.

Guidelines

All projects should:

Provide enrichment and extension activities for students which lead to heightened interest in and appreciation of mathematics.

Encourage students to continue studies of mathematics in high school and college and should better prepare them for those studies

Reflect strategies that have been shown to be effective in increasing underrepresented minority achievement in its design.

Timelines and Restrictions:

Projects should be conducted over a sufficient period of time to engage student participants in learning and applying new and interesting mathematics that they will not otherwise encounter in their classes.

Projects may be conducted during summer, during the school year, on weekends, or after school.

Projects are not intended for remedial help for students who need assistance to succeed in their coursework in mathematics.

Funds may be used to supplement existing projects in order to increase the number of minority students participating in those projects or may be used to initiate new projects. Participation may not be barred to members of any group, but it must be clear that the project will seek to recruit and serve participants from historically underrepresented groups.

Call for Proposals

The 2024 application portal is now closed. To view the previous call for proposals, click the link below. An updated call and link for the 2025 cycle will be posted here in the Fall of 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible for one department/institution to submit multiple proposals to the DMEG, Neff, and Tensor programs within the same grant year?

Yes, but it is unlikely all will be awarded. The 柠檬导航aims to distribute support across a diverse array of projects and locations. Departments considering multiple submissions should ensure proposals are distinct and involve different team members, following internal consultation.

Must key project personnel be 柠檬导航members to improve our funding prospects?

No, 柠檬导航membership is not required for key project personnel. Funding decisions consider personnel qualifications, but 柠檬导航membership status has no impact on the likelihood of receiving a grant.

Is it permissible to allocate grant funds for faculty release time?

Grant funds cannot be used for faculty release time, as it’s expected to be an in-kind contribution from your university. However, you can budget for summer salaries.

Is it possible to apply for funding for a one-day event?

Tensor SUMMA and Tensor Women do not have such a restriction, but one-day events without follow-up have not been seen as competitive projects.

Should my institution provide dollar-for-dollar support to the project? Is in-kind support the same as Indirect?

We do expect some institutional support or commitment from your college or university, but this can be in-kind contribution, such as in the form of materials, office supplies, use of space, etc. They need not match dollar-for-dollar. The institutional support requirement is meant to indicate your institution鈥檚 commitment to your project.

Indirect cost (also called Facilities and Administrative Rate, or F&A Rate) is the mechanism used to reimburse a university for the infrastructure support costs associated with sponsored research and other sponsored projects. The F&A rate is essentially an overhead rate. Tensor programs do not support indirect costs.

Can institutions outside the U.S. apply for Tensor funding?

At this time, applications will be accepted from college and university mathematical sciences faculty at accredited U.S. (including U.S. Territory) or Canadian institutions.