Science Education Research Foundation

The SeER Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds the creation and use of STEM education research. Projects are selected annually for funding based on their anticipated near-term and longer-term societal benefits, their reach in terms of numbers of learners, their equity and diversity focus, and other factors.

------------ NEW! GRANT WINDOW OPENS FOR FALL, 2024  ------------

We are accepting grant proposals up to $500 during the month of August. Our quick proposal form takes only 10 minutes to complete. If you are interested, please download a copy of the form , fill it out, scan, and email it to contact@scienceeducationresearch.org. Once the grant window closes, we will respond...thumbs up or down...and provide you with additional instructions if your proposal is accepted for funding.

------------------ DONORS  ------------------

We are honored that our cornerstone donors support our mission and have decided to make significant investments in our work.

------------------ BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADVISORS  ------------------

Our Board of Directors and advisors are experienced educators, scientists, and businesspeople.

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We like to fund proposals with particular characteristics. Vignettes of different characteristics will be featured and explained on this page. Please check out our archive of past vignettes.

Inequity in Education The very first educational research paper I read was Jean Anyon’s 1981 piece in Curriculum Inquiry, “Social Class and School Knowledge”. The gist of the piece was, unsurprisingly, school inequity exists, it strongly correlates with wealth in a school’s community, and societal forces attempt (and often succeed) at perpetuating the inequity. Forty-two years later, we see that much has not changed and inequity is still pervasive. What can we do about it? While there is no magic bullet, there are definitely some things that can improve. For one, the STEM topic must be both available and accurate. Not all learners have access. At the National Science Teaching Association conference last week, an audience of 25 was asked how many had an environmental science course at their school. Only one teacher from a wealthier part of Chicago raised her hand. The same thing happens in math. I recently reposted an NPR podcast about calculus being a gateway course for college. To get into elite schools, calculus is being used more to differentiate students. The report said, “It’s an easy way to sort students: those who took calculus and those who didn’t”. The rub is only half of high schools in the U.S. have a calculus course. Many worthy college candidates never get the chance to take it. Anybody care to venture a guess which schools tend to not offer calculus?      - Ross

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Feel free to download a copy of our one-pager  which discusses aspects of SeER's origins, mission, and principles of operation.

Our 2023 annual report  talks about what we accomplished in our first full year of operation.

------------------ LET US HEAR FROM YOU  ------------------

We want to hear from you if you are a potential donor, educator, researcher, volunteer, or simply want to comment on our work.