Giving Alberts Fund at the National Academies

Bruce Alberts’ far-reaching vision and work on improving science education may prove to be his most enduring contribution to the U.S. science enterprise and the nation in general. Accordingly, to honor Bruce and extend the impact of his work, the Bruce Alberts Fund for Science Education has been created as a vehicle for underwriting the ambitious Science Education Initiative of the National Academies. It will ensure that the Academies have the ongoing capacity to address the challenges facing science education in the United States.

The Alberts Fund supports high-impact programs that leverage the National Academies’ unique capabilities; these programs include:

National and State Teacher Advisory Councils
TACs provide a voice for front-line teachers in the education reform process. The National TAC has already begun to influence the Academies’ work, as well as the sensibilities of senior national education policymakers.
Corporate Partnership on Science Education
Improving science education requires a collaborative effort. The National Academies seek to build a stronger partnership between the science and business communities, enabling them to leverage their independent strengths and perspectives.
Enhanced Information Dissemination
The Academies’ evidence-based studies on the learning process, educational policy and practice, and science education standards represent a valuable, unique set of resources. Wider, more effective dissemination of content from these reports is a key component of improving science education.
Summer Institute for Undergraduate Science Teachers
Academies-sponsored Summer Institutes have proven to be an effective means of inspiring teachers and spreading best practices. The Academies intend to expand these programs and actively encourage other organizations to create programs modeled on them.
Strategic Collaborations with Science Education Organizations
The Academies will develop new partnerships with leading science education organizations to address critical challenges. For example, a collaboration with two leading organizations planned for 2005 will help teachers move their science instruction closer to that envisioned in the National Science Education Standards developed by the Academies in 1996.

For more information on the Bruce Alberts Fund for Science education, please contact the National Academies’ Office of Development: 202-334-2431, or e-mail Merrill Meadow, NAS Senior Director of Development, at mmeadow@nas.edu.