Opportunity
2020/2021-Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES)
Award Info:
NSF anticipates making up to three Alliance awards with a duration of five years, contingent on availability of funds and receipt of competitive proposals. Awards will range from $1.0 to $2.0 million per year for five years depending on the goals, objectives, and the size of the communities involved.
Description:
NSF INCLUDES is distinguished by its focus on new networks, systems, and partnerships; its approach to using data for change; and its focus on communicating impacts and results at scale. The initiative is fostering the creation of exemplars for designing, implementing, studying, and refining collaborative change models that are based on collective impact-style approaches, and networks that support adoption and adaptation at scale.
With this solicitation, NSF is continuing to offer opportunities to propose an NSF INCLUDES Alliance that has the potential to substantially broaden the participation of individuals from underrepresented and underserved groups in STEM, especially in STEM fields that lack diversity. Alliances use lessons learned, promising practices, evidence-based mechanisms, the science of broadening participation, and the research and evaluations from past and present efforts related to broadening participation in STEM. Alliances bring together programs, people, organizations, technologies, and institutions to achieve results at scale, provide new research, and leverage NSF’s broadening participation investments. Each Alliance is committed to collectively achieving common goals through a well-defined set of common objectives.
The NSF INCLUDES approach requires that each Alliance focus not only on its own vision and goals, but also work with other organizations within the NSF INCLUDES National Network (includesnetwork.org). This is a shift from current practice, which often involves highly successful but locally concentrated efforts. The NSF INCLUDES Big Idea aims to systematically build a network that is mobilizing communities with evidence-based strategies for broadening participation in STEM, bringing renewed emphasis and resources to increase diversity across and within STEM fields at scale.