LI-COR Environmental Education Fund (LEEF)

Program Overview

LEEF provides funding to Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI) to obtain the LI-6400XTR Portable Photosynthesis and Fluorescence System. The program helps undergraduate students obtain practical experience in the theory and practical application of current technology and instrumentation. LI-COR Biosciences awarded more than 37 grants in the first two years of the LEEF program to primarily undergraduate institutions, providing the students with unique opportunities that will help them excel in their careers as researchers, physicians, teachers, and community leaders.

LEEF III applications are accepted beginning September 1, 2008, and will close December 31, 2008. Awardees will receive notification by January 31, 2009. This award covers a large portion of the total cost of the LEEF III package. Remaining cost must be paid through other grants or university funding by the applicant.

The LEEF program is part of LI-COR's ongoing commitment to help colleges enhance their undergraduate science programs using inquiry-based learning. LI-COR offers a similar program for undergraduate programs in genomics.

For complete information regarding how you might qualify for a LEEF grant, contact LEEF Program Coordinator Kristin Feese at (800) 645-4201 or email leef@licor.com

The grant from LI-COR covers a significant portion of the LEEF Package price. The remaining cost is the responsibility of the institution. Funding and grants can come from a variety of places. The following information may help in locating funds to cover the remaining cost of the LEEF Package:

Tips/Advice:

Writing a detailed course proposal outlining the use of the LEEF Package in your classroom can be very helpful. Before writing the course proposal, you should determine the grant for which you are going to apply.  Then you’ll need to get the necessary proposal preparation and submission instruction for that particular grant. Some grants require a letter of intent which should be submitted by the appropriate deadline.  Letters of intent may also require the scope of your proposal as well as a proposal outline. Ideas for scope and outline can be put together by looking at courses that have been implemented at other universities and then developing a plan that best suits your particular goals.

Full proposals should follow the guidelines outlined by the particular granting agency. See the following site for an example: www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg.

NSF offers abstracts and proposals from a university who has been successful in getting funding for their research. www.ehr.nsf.gov/pirs_prs_web/search/.

The LI-COR Advantage:

The LEEF Program has several advantages, making it easier for you to achieve funding:

• LI-6400XTR has a proven track record of success in undergraduate programs.

• Program supports inquiry-based learning and research driven project models.

• Program includes a support plan for the instrument:  faculty training, vouchers for consumables, two free recalibrations and maintenance checks, 5-Year total service package, free software upgrades, and full technical support for the life of the instrument.

Funding Opportunities:

Many LEEF award recipients have indicated their funding came from a variety of sources.  Departmental grants, start-up funds, dean or president’s funds, NSF, CCLI, HHMI, Waksman Foundation, and large gift donations are just a few.  Here are some places you may want to look for funding:

• Your University’s Presidential Discretionary Fund (Many recipients have indicated that their school has one - just ask)

• Dean/Vice President/Provost budget

• Department program resources

• State and local government funds that can be used to impact under represented undergrads

• Camile & Henry Dreyfus Fund

• In broad terms, the programs support young faculty of exciting potential or early accomplishment, develop leadership in environmental chemistry, support undergraduate research with emeritus faculty, and openly solicit for projects that advance the chemical sciences at all levels.

• HHMI (http://www.hhmi.org/)  Howard Hughes Medical Institute

• Research Corporation

• CCLI Grants - http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5741

• Being able to point to a matching source (LI-COR) for funding is a plus for NSF grants (according to NSF officers)

• Phase I grants are $150k max and do contain funding for equipment

• Foundation Directory - www.foundationcenter.org

• NSF - http://www.nsf.gov/funding/

• Grantsnet - http://www.grantsnet.org/

• Waksman Foundation - http://www.waksmanfoundation.org

• RUI Grants - http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518

• Pitt Con memorial National College Grants Program

• www.grantadvisor.com

• Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/

• Smithsonian Institution Educational Outreach Fund

• Kresge Foundation http://www.kresge.org

• Murdock Charitable Trust http://www.murdock-trust.org

• Student Research Clubs (i.e. form a club and get club funding)

• NCER  (Environmental Protection Agency)

• Community Individuals or corporations (Campus Provost should be able to help)

• Local public  trusts or foundations

• AT&T Foundation focuses support on education, and they encourage efforts to win student interest and involvement in mathematics, science and engineering. They also support programs that focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.

• Ford Foundation seeks to enhance educational opportunity, especially for low-income and chronically disadvantaged groups. They want you to write a brief letter of inquiry about your project before you write a full proposal. Applications are considered year-round.

• General Electric Fund has two pre-college grant programs: College Bound and Early Years. College Bound is a partnership between schools and General Electric businesses focused on doubling the rate of college attendance from low-income and inner-city schools near General Electric communities. Early Years grants are given to low-income schools near General Electric facilities to support volunteers' work with elementary schools students learning to read, and to improve math and science. If you submit a grant application to the Fund, be sure you review their Eligibility Guidelines. You may submit grants at any time.

• W. K. Kellogg Foundation has several different programs to which you can apply.

• The Lilly Endowment does not have a website. It was established in 1937 by members of the Lilly family as a vehicle by which to pursue their personal philanthropic interests. The address is: Lilly Endowment, Inc., P. O. Box 88068, Indianapolis, IN 46208 Phone: 317-924-5471 Fax:317-926-4431

• John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is known mostly for its $500,000 Fellows program, but has a Human and Community Development Program for schools. Limited only for organizations in Chicago and Palm Beach County, FL and the regions immediately around them can be supported

• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has a program for Cost Effective Uses of Technology in Teaching , which could be used by regional groups of schools.

• The David and Lucile Packard Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations in the broad areas of Science and Children. The foundation has a special focus on the northern California counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey.

• Pew Charitable Trusts is a national philanthropy, but they maintain a strong commitment to the Philadelphia, PA area.

• Rockefeller Foundation has a Working Communities component that encompasses improving all urban schools.

• Soros or Open Society Institute is sponsored by George Soros, and has a Youth Initiatives Program that is youth-focused. They will consider grant requests up to $75K. Deadlines have not been determined, so check the website periodically.

• Wal-Mart Foundation has several initiatives supporting education, including Teacher of the Year. 97% of their funding is directed by the local Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and/or their distribution centers.

• Robert W. Woodruff Foundation gives only to charities located in the state of Georgia. One of their program areas is elementary, secondary and higher education.

Hamilton College (Dr. William Pfitsch):

"The ease of use of the LI-6400, and the diversity of measurements that can be made, ideally suit it for college student applications at all levels and in different kinds of courses."

"Students can focus on understanding the relationships demonstrated by their data and develop skill in data interpretation, rather than the technical details of (and frustrations with) procedure."

Bethel University (Dr. Kent G. Apostol):

"Teaching photosynthesis is incredibly complex and challenging. While students may become familiar with words and descriptions of processes such as electron transport, light harvesting, oxygen evolution, and carbon fixation that are covered in lectures, they may have only a very shallow, and in some cases flawed, understanding of what these processes really are unless some form of experiments are performed in the lab.  There are significant problems with teaching the ecological importance and practical aspects of photosynthesis. Laboratory exercises are available, but revolve around equipment and procedures that are cheap, unreliable, and uses antiquated instruments. I believe that the LI-6400 is widely used and the most cited photosynthesis instrument in refereed journals. It is the most up-to-date tool and an ideal system for inquiry-based learning."

University of Puget Sound (Dr. Andreas Madlung):

"The development of inquiry-based independent research project opportunities will enable students to use state-of-the-art equipment and encourage them to be creative in experimental design, project execution, data analysis and presentation. The use of inquiry-based labs will aid students in (a) becoming independent thinkers, (b) advancing their technical writing skills, (c) facilitating teamwork between students, and (d) enhancing overall retention of learned material. The versatility of the Li-6400 should also foster creativity among students to develop and ask significant or global experimental questions, which can be addressed at a local level."

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