Award of a $270,000 federal grant to the University, to enable secondary school teachers to study here next year, was announced Saturday by the National Science Foundation.

Thirty-one other universities taking part in the fellowships program, now in its second year, will receive similar grants.

The plan is "Particularly intended to improve the subject-matter competence of teachers of mathematics and science," Edwin C. Kemble, Director of the Academic Year Institute, explained yesterday. The Institute, along with the Graduate School of Education, operates the program.

The program "fulfills a long-standing national need; it was begun long before sputniks were ever heard of," said Kemble.

Candidates for the fellowships must have "at least three years secondary school teaching experience in mathematics or science," and must have "demonstrated outstanding capacity for teaching," Kemble added.

"Fellows are required to spend three-quarters of their year at Harvard in Arts and Sciences courses. They are paid $3000, in addition to tuition and travel expenses," Fletcher Watson, professor of Education and member of the Institute Committee, said last night.

"Between 45 and 55 teachers will be enrolled in 1959-60, and it is quite safe to forecast the number of applications to exceed 400," concluded Watson.