Hello,

I would like to inform you that TIFR has started

TRIP (Teacher Researcher Interaction Program)

which may be useful for those teachers interesting in doing some fundamental research. Please give it a wide publicity so that at least some interested people can apply. I have attached a short description of the program below. Thank you.

Shanta Laishram
Research Scholar
School of Mathematics,
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,
Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba,
Mumbai-400 005, India
http://www.math.tifr.res.in/~shanta

TRIP (Teacher Researcher Interaction Program)

One of the outstanding problems in education is the difficulties teachers have in accessing the increasingly opaque scientific literature in order to enhance their own knowledge.

Conversely, the research community often lacks understanding of the basic problems of education and student interaction.

While HBCSE is doing seminal work for teachers teaching at lower standards and helping in simplifying formal teaching at higher classes, there is a dearth of programmes for teachers teaching higher classes.

In order to mitigate this problem, TIFR has initiated a Teacher-Research Interaction Programme (TRIP).

The salient features of the programme are:

* The programme will be for secondary school to undergraduate teachers from Government recognised Institutions of learning only.

* The programme will be in all fields of physical sciences and possibly, education related issues. Five to six teachers will be accepted every year, based on applications sent in by teachers with recommendations from the school or college, and forwarded through the proper channel. Application forms will be available shortly from our web site or by writing to the Program Coordinator: Dr. P.K. Joshi, Department of Nuclear and Atomic Physics, TIFR (pkjoshi@tifr.res.in).

* The selected teachers will be given a contingency grant which may be used for conveyance, purchase of books or participation in educational programmes. The amount will be released in as per need basis on the approval from the concerned guide.

The following are the details:

* The duration of activity will be for 3 months per year.

* The teacher will be associated to a specific member of TIFR who will be responsible for the teacher's progress.

* The teacher will be expected to come to TIFR on part time basis for the duration of the programme.

* While at TIFR, the teacher will be asked to review a field of mutual interest with the guide and on the basis of this, undertake some theoretical modelling, data analysis or experimental work to enhance the depth of the subject that the teacher reviewed.

* At the conclusion of the programme the teacher will be asked to make a document summarising the work done at TIFR and make 2 presentations, one at TIFR and another to the students of the school or college of origin of the teacher. It will be mandatory for the guide to attend both the session. Both the presentations will be evaluated by an independent committee set up by the programme coordinator. Performance will have to be to the satisfaction of the programme coordinator as judged through the evaluation of the committee.

On successful completion of the programme, the Teacher will be given a Certificate of Participation and will be invited to all programmes of science education and popularisations at TIFR.

The teacher may also be given access to TIFR and HBCSE library for reading purposes.