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Broadening Participation

Background on NSF Broadening Participation

NSF’s commitment to broadening participation is embedded in its Strategic Plan through a variety of investment priorities related to the Learning and Stewardship strategic outcome goals, including:

  • Preparing a diverse, globally engaged science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce;

  • Integrating research with education, and building capacity;

  • Expanding efforts to broaden participation from underrepresented groups and diverse institutions across all geographical regions in all NSF activities; and

  • Improving processes to recruit and select highly qualified reviewers and panelists.

Guided by the Strategic Plan, NSF established a performance area focused on broadening participation: to expand efforts to increase participation from underrepresented groups and diverse institutions throughout the United States in all NSF activities and programs.

NSF INCLUDES

The "NSF INCLUDES Report to the Nation" explores the initial program statistics for the NSF INCLUDES design. Click the report cover image below to view the report.

 

 

Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) The CEOSE committee has been working on a multi-year initiative that advises NSF on broadening participation programs to increase diversity and inclusion in America’s STEM workforce. Click an image below to view a Biennial Report.

Click to view report   Click to view report   Click to view report


Response to the 2011-2012 CEOSE Recommendation for Pathways in Broadening Participation

The 2011-2012 CEOSE (Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering) report requested that NSF launch a bold new initiative for broadening participation (BP) with the goal of eventually having the participation of NSF-supported scientists and engineers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields mirror the population of the Nation. The NSF BP Working Group examined CEOSE’s request and developed an array of options to augment the Foundation’s on-going efforts in broadening participation in STEM.

The 2011-2012 CEOSE Report, and other information about the committee, is available at the [CEOSE Home Page]


White House Initiative on HBCUs Presents Federal Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation

On August 27, 2015, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCU) hosted a webinar at NSF. This was part of a series to educate Historically Black Colleges and Universities on the grants and opportunities available to them throughout the federal government.

The NSF webinar featured a presentation by program staff, highlighting their funding opportunities for HBCUs. Faculty and administrators from the HBCU community were invited to view the webinar and ask questions. All of the proceedings were recorded and are available for viewing at http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/nsf/150827/.

The presentation slides are also available in PDF format.

Learn more about the WHIHBCU at their home page.

Evaluation Reports for Broadening Participation Projects

In August 2008, the Broadening Participation Working Group developed the report A Framework for Action which describes an implementation strategy for the broadening participation performance area in the Strategic Plan. An executive summary and the full report are available at the "Framework for Action" Report page.

Released in January 2011, the report Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Broadening Participation Projects originated from a workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). The report considers metrics for monitoring broadening participation projects, along with designs and indicators to support program evaluation. Additional background information and the report itself are available at the Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Broadening Participation Projects page.

For a separate evaluation framework on broadening participation in graduate education, “Measuring Diversity: An Evaluation Guide for STEM Graduate Program Leaders,” a guide issued by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in partnership with NSF, see the AAAS page at http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2011/0525agep_evaluate.shtml.

Inquiries

For further information concerning NSF's Broadening Participation programs, please contact:

Dr. Suzanne Iacono
National Science Foundation
Phone: 703-292-8040
E-mail: broadpart@nsf.gov

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