The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced grant opportunities for HSIs to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and infrastructure. The purpose of the grants is to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education and to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in STEM. Proposals submitted to NSF will be considered under the three categories below. The grants will be distinguished by the below criteria:

Track 1: The Planning or Pilot Projects (PPP) track provides a funding opportunity for institutions that are new to NSF5 or are Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), including community colleges. The PPP has been designed to link with the other two tracks. The PPP track seeks to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at less-resourced institutions and to increase these institutions' ability to compete for NSF funding from other programs.

Track 2: The Implementation and Evaluation Projects (IEP) track supports the implementation of evidence-based unit, department, or multi-department level activities that will enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education. All HSI institution types are encouraged to apply, especially PUIs (including community colleges). These projects may design and implement a new educational practice or practices, and/or adapt/replicate evidence-based practices that are already known to be effective.

Track 3: The Institutional Transformation Projects (ITP) track supports institution-wide structural or systemic changes to enhance undergraduate STEM education at the proposing HSI. The ITP must be grounded in STEM education research and broadening participation research and be designed to make institutional infrastructure and policy changes to support long-term institutional changes that encourage and support faculty in implementing evidence-based practices that enhance student outcomes in STEM at the proposing HSI.

Full Program Deadlines(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):

March 28, 2022: Track 1, Track 2, and Track 3

August 31, 2022: Track 1 and Track 3

February 8, 2022: Track 1 and Track 2

For a full description of the grant opportunities please visit NSF’s official announcement. Applications can be directed to NSF here for consideration.

For further information, please contact:

Erika Tatiana Camacho, Program Director, National Science Foundation - Email: ecamacho@nsf.gov

Michael J. Davis, Program Director, National Science Foundation – Email: mdavis@nsf.gov

*Please Note - All grant proposals must be Institutionally Routed first through the Sponsored Programs Foundation's Pre-Award Office prior to submitting. If you are interested in applying for this grant or have any questions, please contact our Pre-Award Specialists.