Grants / National Science Foundation / U.S. National Science Foundation

NSF PD-19-7680: Broadening Participation in Engineering

Closed Closed Opportunity NSF PD-19-7680 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI) (NSF 27-500). Status: Closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.

• Total funding$1.5 million
• Expected awards20
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to any type of organization.

• Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"

More grants for nonprofits, colleges and universities, state and local governments, tribes, small businesses, businesses, individuals.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Most of the program's money (89% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

NSF seeks to strengthen the future U.S. Engineering workforce by enabling the participation of all citizens through the support of research in the science of Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE). The BPE program is a dedicated to supporting the development of a diverse and well-prepared engineering workforce. BPE focuses on enhancing the diversity and inclusion of all underrepresentedpopulations in engineering, including gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity (African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders), disability, LGBTQ+, first generation college and socio-economic status. BPE funds research to Understand and analyze the systemicbarriers that prevent underrepresented groups from pursuing and succeeding in engineering, for example, understand the problem of insufficient interest and poorly sustained participation in engineering across underrepresented demographic groups; insufficient preparation and scarce opportunities for members of underrepresented groups to learn meaningful, relevant engineering content. Understand and analyze factors that enhance our ability to increase access to engineering by creating support systems and social networks that raise career awareness about different engineering pathways. Develop innovativemethods and projectstosignificantly impact the recruitment and retention ofengineering students from underrepresented groups. Activities must be supported by relevant dataand have the capability to produce a model that can be replicated in other contexts. Develop innovativemethods and projectsto aggressively recruit and retain tenure track faculty from underrepresented groups. Design and transform culture to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority in the engineering enterprise. BPE research activities will provide scientific evidence that engineering educators, employers, and policy makers need to make informed decisions to design effective programs that broaden the participation of persons from historically underrepresented groups in the engineering workforce. BPE is interested in funding research that spans K-12 to workforce and offers the greatest return on investment. BPE funded research shouldproduce outcomes that are scalable, sustainable, and applicable to various contexts, settings, and demographics within the engineering enterprise.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NSF 27-500, which is open now.

The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.