George A. Ferguson K-12 Engagement Grants

The George A. Ferguson K-12 Engagement Grants are awarded to expand STEM curriculum by introducing nuclear science and technology to Kindergarten through High School students. These grants are awarded to ANS members or Local/Student sections to provide new engagement opportunities to students from under resourced communities in the United States (and its territories). Priority will be given to applicants that incorporate the ANS Navigating Nuclear and other K-12 programs.

View Recipients

Dr. George Alonzo Ferguson, Jr.

Dr. George Alonzo Ferguson Jr. was a physicist and former director of Howard University's nuclear engineering program. Dr. Ferguson was born in Washington and graduated from Armstrong High School in 1941. He served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in Europe and the Philippines.

He received a bachelor's degree in 1947 and a master's degree the next year, both in physics from Howard. He received his doctorate in physics from Catholic University in 1965. His doctoral research involved the structure determination of hydrogen compounds using the technique of neutron diffraction.

He was chairman of the physics department at Clark College in Atlanta from 1950 to 1953 and a research assistant at the University of Pennsylvania in 1953-54.

He conducted research for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory from 1954 to 1975 and served on the faculty of the Howard's School of Engineering from 1966 to 1986. He was responsible for founding Howard's program in nuclear engineering and served as its director from 1967 to 1986. While serving as a volunteer for the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Ferguson helped establish the NEED Committee in 1969 and embarked on a fundraising campaign to provide scholarships and motivational grants. These efforts have allowed ANS to support underrepresented or disadvantaged students since 1979.

After retiring, he served as an administrative judge with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Guidelines

Recipients must complete the project within 12 months after receiving the grant, and a grant report must be submitted to the ANS within two months after completion of the project.

Grants are limited to one per applicant, per year. The limit for a single grant is $5,000. An itemized budget must be included with the application.

Grant funds may not be awarded for the same program more than three (3) times.

The following provides guidance on general expectations, timeline, and restrictions on expenditures using ANS funds. The Reviewing Committee reserves the right to reduce the amount of a grant if the proposal contains activities that are not aligned with ANS’s mission and the intent of the grant.

Appropriate funding requests include:

Broadened participation services such as (but not limited to) language translation and interpretation (including ASL) or offering virtual or hybrid meeting options for those who are unable to attend in-person.
Equipment or materials needed to support nuclear science curriculum, such as:
- Geiger counters
- Cloud chambers
- Dry ice
- Radioactive sources and shielding material

Transportation for groups of 5 or more to tour nuclear-related facilities (power plants, research reactors, nuclear medical centers, national laboratories/universities etc.)
Expenses for volunteers to expand ANS outreach programs such as Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World™
Scout groups of 5 or more working on requirements for the BSA Nuclear Science Merit Badge or ANS’s Get to Know Nuclear Girl Scout patch.
Invited speakers/researchers with hands-on activities.

Amount

2-5 grants awarded annually up to $5,000/each

Final Reports:

Upon completion of the project, grant recipients are asked to provide a project report within 2 months of the final day of the project. Report should include the following:

Project summary
Actual outcomes of the goals lined out in the application. Reports should be outcome-based and discuss the direct impact on the desired outcome.
Audience metrics such as # of participants and demographics of the population served (age, gender, ethnicity).
Proof of expenses, including copies of receipts, to support adherence to proposal objectives and budget.
Any challenges your program faced
List of attendees and contact information (if available)
Supplemental materials that demonstrate the impact of your program, such as photos or videos for sharing on ANS website and/or social media.
Submit to scholarships@ans.org. Failure to submit reports will render the institution ineligible to receive additional grants from ANS until the report is submitted.