CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION

AUTHORIZATION:

Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Coins and Fellowship Foundation, Public Law 102-281, Title IV, 106 Stat. 139-145, 20 U.S.C. 5701-5708.

OBJECTIVES:

To encourage and support research, study, and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants;  Direct Payments for Specified Use;  Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use.

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Assistance is intended for the advancement of programs and individuals that pursue new discoveries.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   United States citizens may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   United States citizens will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation:   None.

APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:   In order to fulfill its mission, the Foundation has developed a three-tiered Frontiers of discovery--Past, Present and Future program. DISCOVERIES OF THE PAST-The Past program presents a $100,000 Frank Annunzio Award to a living American whose creative thinking has led to creative work, process, product or other achievement that has made a significant impact on our society. DISCOVERIES AT WORK - The Present program is achieved through a partnership with DISCOVER Magazine. The Columbus Foundation is the exclusive sponsor of the 1998- 2000 DISCOVER Magazine's Awards for Technological Innovation ceremony. The Discover Awards is an annual competition that honors technological innovation developed within the competition year. The Columbus Foundation awards the $100,000 Columbus Foundation Award to a participant who demonstrates a program of ongoing work with specific outcome suggesting that an important discovery will result. The program is operated by DISCOVER Magazine, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, Attn: Darlene Cavalier. DISCOVER THE FUTURE - The Future program is accomplished through three separate programs. Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation - The Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation is a national competition which asks sixth through eighth grade students to identify problems in their communities and solve them using the scientific process. The program is designed to foster curiosity, creativity and critical thinking skills in youth with diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities. The kids work in teams of four. There are ten regional pilot cities around the country Region 1 - Spokane, WA, Region 2 - San Francisco, CA; Region 3 - Kansas City, MO; Region 4 - Minneapolis, MN; Region 5 - Elkhart, IN; Region 6 - Houston, TX, Region 7 - Atlanta, GA; Region 8 - Charleston, SC, Region 9 - Pittsburgh, PA, Region 10 - New York, NY. The teams' entries are reviewed by a regional panel of judges who select three semi-finalist teams from each region. The finalist judging selects the ten finalist teams, one from each region, to compete in the national finals. The national judging is held at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resorts, Orlando, Florida. In addition, the finalists attend the Christopher Columbus Academy, a custom-designed program that takes the kids through a one-of-a-kind educational experience. Also, one of the teams will win the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant to take back to their community to make their idea a reality. This program is sponsored by the Bayer Corporation, the National Science Foundation, the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and DISCOVER Magazine. The program is operated by Media Management Services, Inc., 105 Terry Drive, Newtown, PA 18940, Attn: Stacey Gall. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. National Gallery for America's Young Inventors - The Columbus Foundation is in partnership with the Partnership for America's Future, Inc. which sponsors the National Gallery for America's Young inventors. The purpose of the National Gallery is to "celebrate the learning, insight, creativity and workmanship of America's student inventors by recognizing and preserving their accomplishments for the inspiration of future generations." The National Gallery inducts up to six student inventors annually to honor their creative innovation. In order to be considered for induction, each entrant must be a winner of a national invention competition, a patent holder or have a product on the national market. All entrants must be American citizens between the ages of 6 to 19. Entries are judged by a national Student Board of Directors. The program is operated by the Partnership for America's Future, Inc., 80 West Bowery Street, Akron, Ohio 44308, Attn: Nicholas Frankovits. $5000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award - The Freida J. Riley Teacher Award is another program sponsored by the Foundation through the Partnership for America's Future. The purpose of the Riley Award is to "identify and reward an American teacher who overcame tremendous adversity, or made an enormous sacrifice, in order to positively impact students." The award is limited to any certified classroom teacher who is presently teaching, or has previously taught full-time (grades K-12), in an accredited U.S. public, private, or charter school. The award will be presented to "a teacher working with a physical disability; or a teacher dealing with an especially challenging educational environment." The award will not be given posthumously. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2001. The program is managed by the Partnership for America's Future, Inc., 80 West Bowery Street, Akron, Ohio 44308.

Application Procedure:   DISCOVERIES OF THE PAST - The Frank Annunzio Award - The winner of the Frank Annunzio Award must be a living American whose creative thinking has led to creative work, process, product, or other achievement that has made a significant impact on our society. Nomination forms are submitted to the Columbus Foundation, 110 Genesee Street, Suite 390, Auburn, NY 13021. The deadline is June 30, 2001. DISCOVERIES AT WORK - DISCOVER Awards for Technological Innovation - Entries are submitted in several categories. Nomination are received online. The deadline for the 2001 competition is January 31, 2001. The winner of the $100,000 Columbus Foundation Award must demonstrate a program of ongoing work with specific outcome suggesting that an import discovery will result. DISCOVER THE FUTURE -Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation - Entries will be accepted from all 50 States, territories and possessions. All team entries must consist of a Bayer/NSF Award Entry form (signed by the team members and the coach), a team-written section and the visual component. To enter, mail an original and two copies of the team's community solution to: Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation, 105 Terry Drive, Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940. The deadline for the 2001 competition is January 31, 2001. National Gallery for America's Young Inventors - An entrant must be a winner of a national invention competition, a patent holder or have a product on the national market. All entrants must be American citizens between the ages of 6 to 19. Entries may be submitted to Partnership for America's Future, Inc., 80 West Bowery Street, Suite 305, Akron, OH 44308. The deadline for the 2001 competition is January 31, 2001. $5000 Freida J. Riley Teacher Award - The Freida J. Riley Teacher Award is limited to any certified classroom teacher who is presently teaching, or has previously taught full-time (grades K-12), in an accredited U.S. public, private, or charter school. The award will be presented to "a teacher working with a physical disability; or a teacher dealing with an especially challenging educational environment." The award will not be given posthumously. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2001. Send applications to Partnership for America's Future, Inc., 80 West Bowery Street, Akron, Ohio 44308.

Award Procedure:   DISCOVERIES OF THE PAST - Frank Annunzio Award - All entries are screened by the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Foundation and a national Evaluation Committee. The Award will be presented in October 2000. DISCOVERIES AT WORK - DISCOVER Awards for Technological Innovation - All entries for the Columbus Foundation Award are screened by the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Foundation and an expert panel of evaluators. The 2000 Discover Awards was held June 24, 2000. DISCOVER THE FUTURE - The Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation has three judging phases. The finals and the Christopher Columbus Academy were held at Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida from June 19-26, 2000. National Gallery for Young Inventors - Inductees will be honored at a banquet on September 9, 2000 in Akron, OH. Freida J. Riley Teacher Award - Applications are evaluated by a panel of national judges. The award was presented on May 4, 2000, in conjunction with Space Day 2000 at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Deadlines:   Contact the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation for deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Not applicable.

Appeals:   Not applicable.

Renewals:   Not applicable.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   Not applicable.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Not applicable.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Not applicable.

Audits:   Not applicable.

Records:   Not applicable.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   76-8187-0-7-502.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 99 $807,500; FY 00 est $926,000; and FY 01 est $1,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:   $50,000 to $350,000.

PROGAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

In 1998, the Columbus Foundation awarded the first $100,000 Frank Annunzio Award. The award is designated to honor a living American whose innovative thinking has led to creative work, process, product or other achievement that has made a significant impact on society. The first award went to John J. Wild, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Medico-Technological Research Institute of Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Wild pioneered a new field of medicine: diagnostic medical ultrasound, upon which current applications of ultrasonic imaging and diagnosis are based. In 1999, the Frank Annunzio Award went to Charles H. Townes, Ph.D., inventor of the laser. Beginning in 1996, the Foundation awarded the first $100,000 Columbus Foundation Award in conjunction with the annual Discover Awards for Technological Innovation which honor the visionary men and women who create our newest technologies. The Columbus Foundation Award recognizes an individual American who has improved or is attempting to improve the world through ingenuity and innovation and provides incentive for continuing research. In 2000, the Foundation awarded the $100,000 Columbus Foundation Award to Dr. Anthony Atala, Associate Professor of Surgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, for his research on creating new organs in the laboratory. In 1997, the Foundation sponsored 40 kids through the first Christopher Columbus Academy in conjunction with the Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation. The Foundation also awards the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant to one of the teams as seed money for their project. In 2000, the $25,000 Columbus Foundation grant went to a team from Houston, TX for their innovative approach to science education proposed by Science Squad. Science Squad is designed to address low scores on standardized tests taken by local fifth graders and help them prepare for the challenges of middle school science. In 1998, the Columbus Foundation awarded the first Young Inventors Award to the six inductees in the National Gallery for America's Young Inventors. The inductees must have been awarded in a national invention competition, hold a patent or have a product on the national market. The 2000 inductees are: Edward T. Gemin, Heat Energy Recovery System using peltier junction modules; Ryan W. Kingsbury, thermoelectric-based liquid-cooled personal computer; Ann Lai, micro-sensors for monitoring sulfur dioxide emissions; Joseph E. & William H. Pechter, hybrid text to speech 2000; Naveen Neil Sinha, multi-purpose non-invasive sensor for monitoring contents inside closed containers; Spencer Rocco Whale, KidKare hospital equipment and supplies.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

None.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:   Judith M. Shellenberger, Executive Director, 110 Genesee Street, Suite 390, Auburn, New York 13021. Telephone: (315) 258-0090. Fax: (315) 258-0093.

Web Site Address:   http://www.columbusfdn.org.

RELATED PROGRAMS:

None.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

None available.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS: