Fact Sheet
NSF: Broadening Participation
February 1, 2010
This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
NSF is committed to broadening participation and improving education and workforce development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). NSF's goals to create opportunities and develop innovative strategies to broaden participation among diverse individuals, institutions and geographic areas were detailed in its Strategic Plan for FY 2006-2011 titled "Investing in America's Future."
A new program, Comprehensive Broadening Participation of Undergraduates in STEM, will enhance and build on the successes realized through existing undergraduate programs: Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), and Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP). This new strategically aligned program will help build transformative, sustainable partnerships among the HBCU, Hispanic-serving, TCU and LSAMP communities to strengthen their STEM contributions to tomorrow's workforce.
The Comprehensive Broadening Participation of Undergraduates in STEM program will increase the participation in the STEM fields by:
- fostering innovation and creativity in student learning and faculty development;
- strengthening STEM curricular offerings, enhancing STEM faculty development and increasing competencies and competitiveness of students;
- facilitating expanded collaboration between scientists and educators at minority-serving institutions and majority institutions, especially research-intensive universities with NSF Science and Technology Centers, Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers, and Engineering Research Centers.
- promoting shared, accessible infrastructure for increased competitiveness and participation in potentially transformative research; and
- transforming infrastructure, operations and resources; increasing support for and engagement in frontier scientific research and access to advanced research instrumentation; and maximizing undergraduate research opportunities.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Bobbie Mixon, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: bmixon@nsf.gov
The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.
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