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

NSF PD-21-178Y: Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity

Closed Closed Opportunity NSF PD-21-178Y ☆ 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$5.0 million
• 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"

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Is this a realistic fit?

• Most of the program's money (71% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

The World is facing “all minds needed” problems, but due to historical systemic structures, all minds have not been fully engaged. Recent research shows that science scholars who are underrepresented in STEM produce higher rates of scientific novelty, yet they do not persist in the systems where the innovation is created (Hofstra et al. 2020). Because the geosciences continue to lag other STEM fields in creating a diverse community of researchers, scholars, and practitioners, disruptive strategies and evidence-based practices are needed to recruit and specifically retain individuals who historically have not been included in geoscience education, research and careers. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) seeks to support activities that will develop unique approaches or bring to scale current efforts to increase and sustain the inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds in the geoscience education and research community. Proposals that will address elements in the following two areas are encouraged: Professional Development. GEO encourages projects that will develop efforts and training that focus on the creation of BAJEDI (Belonging Accessibility Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion) leaders through scaling of model professional development (PD) programs, identifying barriers that exist within academia and/or the geosciences that prevent the development of diversity champions, and the employment of strategies that will create and sustain cohorts of diversity leaders to maximize collective impact in the geoscience ecosystem. Examples of focus areas for PD centered proposals could include: 1) training in BAJEDI for graduate students and postdocs who will soon be on the job market, 2) creation of curriculum and standards for safe, equitable and inclusive education and research practices, 3) development of guidance that would assist geoscience academic and research units in developing or implementing BAJEDI plans, and 4) identification and fostering of practices related to the valuation of BAJEDI leaders and their activities in institutional promotion systems. Geoscience Capacity Building at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

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.