CRA-WP Included in NSF BPC Alliances Investment to Broaden Participation in Computing

By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications 

The Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation (CRA-WP) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $5.2 million over five years as part of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) $48 million investment to extend its efforts in broadening participation in computing. CRA-WP is one of several NSF Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances to receive funding as part of a key initiative aimed at increasing diversity and addressing systemic barriers in computing.

The NSF CRA-WP award, titled BPC-AE: Computing Research Pathways at Scale, will use this funding to expand its successful mentorship programs, focusing on three core areas: increasing awareness of computing research during the first two years of undergraduate study, helping graduate students build research connections through minicourses, and training faculty and graduate students to become effective mentors.

This award underscores NSF’s dedication to fostering a more inclusive and innovative computing field. Greg Hager, Assistant Director for the NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, remarked, “These awards exemplify our commitment to continuously expand opportunities for underserved groups and break down systemic barriers in computing education and research. By investing in innovative programs that address disparities, we are not just broadening participation — we are building a more inclusive, creative, and robust computing workforce that will drive technological leadership for decades to come.”

Building a More Inclusive Future in Computing

Susan Rodger, CRA-WP Co-Chair, Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Duke University, and Principal Investigator of the project, shared her enthusiasm for the award: “This NSF funding is critical for enabling us to reach a larger audience and provide the mentorship, guidance, and resources needed to foster a more diverse computing research community. Through this initiative, we aim to inspire students early in their academic careers and provide them with the tools and support to pursue computing research.”

Curtis Cain, Director of Broadening Participation in Computing Initiatives at CRA and Co-PI of the project, highlighted the importance of the funding: “This $5.2 million investment allows CRA-WP to expand our critical work in fostering diversity and inclusion within the computing field. By enhancing mentorship opportunities and research experiences, we will empower underrepresented groups in computing to thrive and contribute to the future of technology and innovation.”

CRA-WP looks forward to continuing its partnership with NSF and other BPC Alliances, leveraging this new investment to make significant strides in creating a more diverse and impactful computing community.

Other NSF BPC Alliances Awarded

In addition to CRA-WP, several other NSF BPC Alliances were awarded funding to broaden participation in computing:

• Morehouse College, NSF iAAMCS: The Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS) continues its work in retaining and supporting Black doctoral students in computing, while enhancing its role as a national hub for information, networking, and mentorship.
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, NSF STARS: The STARS Computing Corps, which focuses on increasing the representation of Black, Hispanic, and women/non-binary students in computing, will expand its community-driven efforts through social justice-oriented service-learning projects.
• New York City Foundation for Computer Science Education, CSforALL: CSforALL aims to build a more inclusive CS education system by promoting equity-driven systemic change in K-12 computing education.
• University of Colorado at Boulder, NCWIT: The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) will focus on diversifying emerging research fields such as AI and quantum computing by expanding change leadership initiatives and promoting diversity in research labs.
• University of Washington, AccessComputing: AccessComputing seeks to increase the participation of people with disabilities in computing by engaging them in research, enhancing institutional capacity, and fostering collaboration to drive systemic change.
• University of Chicago, NSF LEAP: The NSF LEAP Alliance works to diversify leadership within computing faculty at research universities by building on strategies to increase diversity among future academic leaders.
• University of Texas at Austin, NSF ECEP: The Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) project addresses state-level systemic barriers in K-12 computing education and promotes equity-driven change through state-led initiatives.
• University of Texas at El Paso, NSF CAHSI: The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) focuses on increasing the number of Hispanic and underrepresented students completing doctoral degrees in computing and enhancing research capacity at Hispanic-serving institutions.

These BPC Alliances collectively serve as national resources, working to create a more diverse, inclusive, and innovative computing community.

For more on CRA-WP and its work supporting broadening participation in computing, visit cra.org/cra-wp.