Awards and Grants

Earlier this year, the Computing Research Association’s UR2PhD team announced that it would be accepting proposals from non-profit organizations supporting computing students. UR2PhD awarded nearly $1.5M to five organizations.

The UR2PhD leadership team is pleased to support organizations whose missions prioritize people and emphasize impact. Christine Alvarado, Associate Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education at the University of California, San Diego and UR2PhD Program Leader shares, “We’re truly looking forward to collaborating with these partners to achieve our shared goal of increasing the number of students pursuing PhDs in computing. Each partner brings unique and complementary expertise that, together, will make it possible for students from all backgrounds, demographics, abilities and circumstances to get excited about research and pursue their PhDs.”

Kelly Shaw, UR2PhD Program Leader and Professor at William College, adds, “Increasing the number of students earning PhDs in computing requires support and mentorship at every stage of a student’s career, up through the completion of the PhD. Students face unique challenges and no one organization can provide all the resources and guidance they need to be successful. We’re proud to be building partnerships that empower undergraduate students to explore their curiosity in computing research, so that they’re ultimately able to obtain their PhD.”

The UR2PhD program, which specifically focuses on increasing the number of undergraduate research opportunities and closing the gap between a first research experience and a successful PhD application, is funding the following organizations working to build support for students in computing.

Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS) / Morehouse College

iAAMCS will develop a Summer Bridge Experience (SBX) Program to increase interest in pursuing doctoral computing degrees. iAAMCS’ SBX program will offer a virtual research and training opportunity that results in students earning 3 hours of college credit, experience with Python programming, and community-building.

Last Mile Education Fund

Last Mile Education Fund will support students in computing by deploying outreach campaigns, offering targeted supplemental grants, and establishing a Last Mile fund for students pursuing computing-related PhDs.

The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) / the University of Texas at El Paso

CAHSI will double the number of students participating in their programs who apply to graduate school by December 2025. To do so, they will be developing and implementing campaigns that deliberately and intentionally recruit more computing students into local research experiences for undergraduates. They will also be creating and establishing programming for their program participants.

AccessComputing / University of Washington

AccessComputing will increase the number of students on track to earn a PhD in a computing field. To realize this goal, the team will develop and disseminate resources for students and faculty. AccessComputing will be leveraging funds to host a National Capacity Building Institute, develop a web page, videos, and webinars, and generate resources for the community.

Modern Figures Podcast

The Modern Figures Podcast will facilitate more engagement of folks in computing by developing 2 new seasons of inspirational Modern Figures Podcast episodes, organizing listening sessions, raising visibility at technical conferences, and providing travel scholarships for students to attend conferences.

In selecting the recipients of the awards, the committee selected proposals that complemented UR2PhD’s program goals. UR2PhD is grateful to have received several competitive proposals from organizations striving to broaden participation in computing. CRA hopes to continue to see dynamic initiatives and programs that meet the needs of computing students.

We look forward to sharing highlights from these exciting projects in the future.

NOTE: CRA’s UR2PhD program intends to increase the number of students pursuing graduate studies in computing. Program activities are open to North American students.