Program Overview (NSF ) Jessie DeAro, Ph.D. AGEP Program Officer National Science Foundation Questions:

 Increase the numbers of URMs entering and completing STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training. ◦ URMs are African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders ◦ Male and female URMs, and URMs with disabilities, may require different strategies  Despite increasing trends, URMs are still under represented in various STEM disciplines compared to the available pool of candidates. ◦ Cannot just wait for representation to catch up ◦ We know that there are organizational, societal, and cultural issues that impact participation which can be mitigated

 AGEP-Transformation ◦ Alliance required ◦ 42 month project (possibility of more months) ◦ Up to $1.75 M depending on scope of project  AGEP-Knowledge Adoption and Translation ◦ Up to 60 months ◦ ~$200,000 to $350,000 per year depending on scope of project  AGEP-Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education ◦ Up to 36 months ◦ Up to $525,000 total award Proposals due October 30, 2012

Goal:  To develop, implement, and study innovative evidence- based models and standards of STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training experiences designed to improve URM participation, preparation, and success in STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training. Scope:  One STEM discipline or multi-, cross-, or inter-disciplinary areas  Multiple disciplines (a subset or all STEM fields)

Alliances:  Must be Strategic: ◦ Leverage shared goals and resources ◦ Create educational, training, and career opportunities and pathways  Partners may include: ◦ Non-profit institutions of higher education ◦ Industry ◦ Non-profit organizations ◦ Federal National laboratories ◦ Others ◦ Note that AGEP grant funding is limited to the organizations that are eligible for NSF support

Activities:  Maximum flexibility to design activities, however: ◦ Must be evidence-based activities ◦ Activities must be “alliance-based” activities that could not be implemented without the proposed alliance ◦ Limit on direct student support (max up to 20%)  Expected to achieve significant long-term transformation within the STEM discipline(s) and the alliance partners.  Social science research component: ◦ Issues related to URMs in graduate education and/or postdoctoral training programs, and their interest in, preparation for, and success in academic STEM careers at all types of institutions ◦ A collaborator with social science expertise is expected (extra five pages to describe the social science research)

Goal:  To support the dissemination to new stakeholders and/or the adoption (or adaptation) of research findings and evidence- based strategies and practices to increase the participation and success of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training Scope:  Projects are expected to broaden the adoption (or adaptation) of demonstrated strategies and practices.  The materials, tools, and practices must have been demonstrated to be effective in improving outcomes of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and/or their preparation for academic STEM careers.

Goal:  To advance understanding of the underlying issues affecting the participation and success of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM careers at all types of institutions of higher education. Scope:  Studies of the behavioral, cognitive, affective, learning, social factors, organizational, institutional, and/or systemic processes that may have an impact on URM participation and success