CERP Bulletin

The CERP Bulletin frequently shares news, timely information about CERP initiatives, and items of interest to the general community.
Subscribe to the CERP E-Mail List to stay connected.

Tag Archive: Broadening Participation

Applications Are Open for the 2023 Departmental BPC Plan Workshop: March 19 Deadline

/In: /by

Applications are now open for the 2023 Departmental Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan Workshop. This year’s workshop will be held in Atlanta, GA from May 30th– June 1st in collaboration with Morehouse College. In this workshop, departments will have the opportunity to learn more about BPC efforts from the National Science Foundation (NSF), how to create a Departmental BPC Plan, and how to best support faculty PIs submitting NSF proposals that require a BPC Plan. Consultants from BPCnet.org will be available to answer questions and provide real-time feedback about your department’s BPC Plan during the workshop.

 

Please check out the workshop website for more information about the workshop.

 

Eligibility

This workshop is open to all computing department faculty and administrators developing Departmental BPC Plans. We highly recommend (but do not require) that each department participates in the workshop in teams of 2-3. For each department, we ask that at least one participant represent the leadership (e.g., department heads, deans, etc.) at the workshop. We also encourage non-academic staff, research institute personnel, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) professionals, and leaders from other broadening participation-related organizations to attend. Registrants do not need to have prior experience developing Departmental BPC Plans. Each department may send up to three representatives to attend.

 

Funding

This workshop is funded by the NSF. Attendees will be reimbursed for their travel expenses in accordance with CRA’s Travel Policy. 

 

Application

Each department only needs to submit one application. The person who completes the application on behalf of the department will be asked to provide information on the other representatives (e.g., name, email). Click here to complete and submit your application by midnight Sunday, March 19th.

 

If you have any questions regarding the workshop, please reach out to bpcinfo@cra.org.

 

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

CSGrad4US: Second Year Call for NSF Fellowship Opportunity for CS Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree Holders to Return for PhD

/In: , /by

NSFThis post was originally published in CRA Bulletin on April 4, 2022 here.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Directorate has announced the second year of the CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship program.

Goal and Motivation To increase the number of diverse, domestic graduate students pursuing research and innovation careers in the CISE fields. The fellowship program, which will provide 3-year fellowship opportunities for new Ph.D. students in the computing disciplines, was released in response to the increased demand for people with a Ph.D. in CISE fields, the continued decrease of domestic students pursuing research and completing a Ph.D., and the overall small number of bachelor’s degree recipients in CS pursuing graduate school. In particular, the percentage of domestic Ph.D. students in Computer Science graduating has decreased from 69% in 1985 to 37% in 2018 [1].

NSF seeks candidates from a broad array of backgrounds and strongly encourages women, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, and persons with disabilities to apply.

Benefits

  • A year-long preparation program, organized by CRA-E and CRA-WP, in which individuals selected for the Fellowship will receive mentoring support in identifying a graduate program, finding a research mentor, and applying to graduate programs; during this year, the individuals will also have opportunities to form a network with one another and with faculty advisors;
  • For those who enroll in an accredited doctoral degree-granting program at an institution of higher education having a campus located in the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an annual stipend of $34,000 for three years out of five; and

  • Cost-of-education allowance of $12,000 per year for the three years noted above to the institution of higher education.

Timeline and Eligibility
The 2022 solicitation has expanded the eligibility rules. In particular, applicants must have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in a CISE field before June 30, 2021, and can have received an MS degree.  Applications for the CSGrad4US Graduate Fellowship are due June 30, 2022.

Please visit https://www.nsf.gov/cise/CSGrad4US/ for all eligibility criteria and additional details and deadlines.
—
[1] Addressing the National Need for Increasing the Domestic Ph.D. Yield in Computer Science. Susanne Hambrusch, Lori Pollock, Ran Libeskind-Hadas, and Christine Alvarado, Quadrennial Paper, CRA, November 2020.

Help us publicize this unique opportunity by…

  • Forwarding this email to your faculty and alums
  • Posting on your Social Media

BPCnet.org is Hiring BPC Plan Consultants

/In: /by

About BPCnet.org: BPCnet.org, housed within the Computing Research Association (CRA), is a resource for the computing community to learn about Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) efforts and engage with ongoing initiatives to diversify computing. In that effort, BPCnet.org supports PIs and departments to create BPC Plans that define how they will contribute to broadening participation in computing (BPC) in a meaningful way.

Description: BPCnet.org seeks consultants to support academic institutions to craft BPC Plans for their respective departments. The consultants will primarily work with PIs and departments to help draft and revise meaningful Departmental and Project “Connected and Standalone” BPC Plans (Connected and Standalone) under the NSF CISE guidelines, and with the support of rubrics and sample plans. The consultation process includes virtual meetings with departments,  providing feedback on drafts, and using a pre-established checklist and criteria for verifying Departmental BPC Plans.

Types of Consultants:

  • Provides consultations about Departmental and Project BPC Plans only (virtually meets with departments)
  • Reviews and verifies Departmental BPC Plans only
  • Provides consultations about Departmental and Project BPC Plans, and reviews and verifies Departmental BPC Plans

Time Commitment: Max. 10 hours/ month. BPC Plan consultants have flexible schedules; however, consultants will need to provide their availability for each semester. Consultants will also participate in BPC Plan Workshops and virtual Working Sessions as their schedules permit.

Compensation: Hourly

Experience and Training: BPC Plan consultants are expected to have a prior engagement with BPC through BPC activities in their respective organizations and/or research experience. BPCnet.org staff and Steering Committee will also provide consultants with the appropriate training and continuous guidance needed to review and verify Plans.

Application Process: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you’re interested in becoming a BPC Plan Consultant, please fill out this form. You can expect to hear from BPCnet.org staff about the next steps within a few weeks of submitting your application.

CRA is an equal opportunity employer. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the BPC Plan Consultancy, please contact us at bpcinfo@cra.org.

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

Supplements for BPC Plans

/In: /by

The following announcement is provided by the National Science Foundation.

PIs with active Medium and Large CISE Core programs awards funded in the last three years (specifically pursuant to solicitations NSF 20-591, 19-589. 18-569, 18-568, and 18-570) are invited to submit supplemental funding requests to engage more members of the CISE research community in significant BPC efforts as part of their projects’ BPC plans. These supplements will increase the participation of individuals underrepresented in the community participation in specific research areas. Supplemental funding requests for an existing BPC plan should either:

  1. extend the reach of current BPC activities that have some evidence of effectiveness to more participants or institutions; or
  2. coordinate and institutionalize BPC activities within a department or similar unit.

The supplemental funding request should also include the following information:

  1. objectives and strategies for the proposed activities along with a timeline;
  2. an evaluation and assessment plan that describes how to measure the outcomes of the proposed activities; and
  3. the results of past BPC activities on this project.

The current approved BPC plan must be uploaded as a Supplementary Document.

Supplemental funding requests must: (a) be less than 20% of the original award amount; and (b) not exceed $200,000. Supplements will not be given if they would require an extension beyond the expiration date of the original grant.

The deadline for submission is January 20, 2022.

BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

BPC Demonstration Projects

/In: /by

The following announcement is provided by the National Science Foundation.

PIs with interest in piloting and evaluating programs to broaden participation in computing are encouraged to submit a BPC Demonstration Project (DP). Typical DPs pilot innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an existing or new BPC Alliance, or otherwise scaled up for widespread impact. Examples include projects proposed by a single institution or those that focus on a single underrepresented community, a single point in the academic pathway, or a single impediment to full participation in computing. Demonstration projects should contribute knowledge to our understanding of effective teaching and learning of computing for students from groups underrepresented in computing.

The deadline for submission is January 20, 2022.

Please refer to the CISE BPC solicitation (NSF 21-571) for more details. Send questions or concerns to cise-bpc@nsf.gov.

BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

BPCnet.org Releases New Tool in the Statistics and Data Hub

/In: /by

BPCnet.org is happy to announce the newest addition to its Statistics and Data Hub, a resource that brings together sources of publicly available data to support the computer and information sciences and engineering fields. Since its launch in 2020, the Statistics and Data Hub has included several tools for users to download computing-specific data, such as postsecondary computing degrees awarded by institutions and enrollment data at the K-12 level.

Now, users can view and download institution-specific data on postsecondary engineering degrees. In this tool, users can select their state, institution name, and degree type to view a downloadable data table or plot (sourced from U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)). Data can be further organized by the Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code, gender, and racial/ethnic identity. Click here to check out the new tool!

These newest updates to the BPCnet.org Statistics and Data Hub were made possible through a new collaboration with the NSF INCLUDES Alliance: Partnerships Launching Underrepresented Students, previously announced in CERP Bulletin.

Do you know of other public data initiatives that should be included on the BPCnet.org Statistics and Data Hub? Contact us to let us know!

Register for This Year’s Final Departmental BPC Plan Working Session

/In: /by

BPCnet.org will be hosting its last working session for this year on Thursday, November 18th, 2021, from 3:00 PM- 5:00 PM ET. The session will assist participants with updating their existing Departmental BPC Plan or creating a new one to meet the updated National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE) guidelines. You can review the details of the session and register prior to Thursday, November 11th.

 

If you are unable to participate in the working session, we encourage you to schedule a free appointment with our BPC consultants before the December 1st, 2021 – December 22nd, 2021 proposal window deadline for NSF CISE Core Medium projects.

 

Questions about these Departmental BPC Plan Working Sessions should be directed to bpcinfo@cra.org or through our contact form.

 

BPCnet.org has the full announcement about the changes to BPC Plan requirements from NSF.

BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

Attend Upcoming Departmental BPC Plan Working Sessions from BPCnet.org

/In: , /by

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (CISE) announced an updated Core Programs solicitation (NSF 21-616) with new guidelines for submitting Project Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plans. BPCnet.org has a full announcement about these changes published here.

All Medium project proposals to the Core Programs solicitation (NSF 21-616) are due December 1, 2021 – December 22, 2021. In preparation for the proposal due date, BPCnet.org is hosting two working sessions on October 22nd (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET) and November 18th (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET).

These working sessions will be tailored toward departments that are seeking to update an existing Departmental BPC Plan or create a new one.

More details, along with an agenda and registration, can be found here on BPCnet.org.

Questions about these Departmental BPC Plan Working Sessions should be directed to bpcinfo@cra.org or through our contact form here.

 

 

BPCnet.org Resource Portal is an initiative of the Computing Research Association (CRA) with support from the National Science Foundation (CNS-1830364, CNS-2032231, and CNS-1940460). Subscribe to the BPCnet.org newsletter & bulletin by clicking here.

NSF_LOGONSF_LOGO

Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Program Solicitation Webinar

/In: , /by

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is hosting a webinar on the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program solicitation (NSF 21-571) on May 4, 2021 starting at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. 

The webinar will take place via Zoom. It will include a briefing on the 2021 BPC program and key solicitation requirements, followed by a question-and-answer session. Prior to the webinar, you can submit questions to cise-bpc@nsf.gov.

Click here to register in advance for this webinar.

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about how to join the webinar. Participants will be able to join in listen-only mode and interact through the Q&A function.

For more information about the webinar, please go to https://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302618

nsflogonsflogo

Program Solicitation: Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC)

/In: /by

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) is currently accepting proposals from the computing community for Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) projects aimed at increasing the representation of historically underrepresented groups in the discipline. These groups may include women, persons with disabilities, Blacks and African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

The BPC program supports three categories of awards:

  • Alliances: Alliances operate across multiple stages of the academic pipeline and address one or several intended groups that are underrepresented. Existing Alliances with documented impact on BPC may apply for additional funding.
  • Demonstration Projects (DPs): Typical DPs pilot innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an existing or new Alliance, or otherwise scaled up for widespread impact. Examples include projects proposed by a single institution or those that focus on a single underrepresented community, a single point in the academic pathway, or a single impediment to full participation in computing.
  • Supplements: Supplements to existing CISE research awards are intended to engage more members of the computing research community in significant BPC efforts as part of a project’s BPC plan.

The deadline for submitting proposals is June 14, 2021 by 5 PM submitter’s local time.

Proposals may only be submitted by institutions of higher education, non-profit or non-academic organizations, and state and local governments. For more information, please review the program solicitation in its entirety by clicking the link provided below. 

Read More