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Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP) - FAQs

1) What is the NSF Alliances for Broadening Participation in STEM (ABP) opportunity?

ABP is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding solicitation designed to increase the number of students who successfully complete high-quality STEM degree programs. It emphasizes students from groups that have historically been underrepresented in STEM and supports a connected pathway from undergraduate education through graduate study, doctoral completion, and into STEM faculty and research careers.

2) What is the main goal of ABP beyond supporting individual students?

In addition to supporting students, ABP aims to improve and transform the systems and institutional practices that shape STEM participation and success. The solicitation emphasizes changes in practices, structures, and campus environments that influence recruitment, persistence, completion, and advancement in STEM.

3) Which student populations are specifically emphasized in this solicitation?

The solicitation specifically emphasizes African Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders as populations that have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields.

4) How is ABP structured?

ABP is structured around three core components that align with different stages of the STEM pipeline: (1) LSAMP as the undergraduate anchor, (2) LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) supporting the transition into graduate school, and (3) AGEP supporting doctoral completion and preparation for faculty/research careers.

5) What is LSAMP within ABP?

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program is the undergraduate anchor of ABP. It focuses on building broad, multi-institution alliances to scale student success strategies, often across regions or states, with the goal of increasing both the diversity and the quality of the STEM workforce.

6) What kinds of institutions and partners can be involved in an LSAMP alliance?

LSAMP alliances typically involve two-year and four-year colleges and universities (including community colleges). Alliances often include additional partners such as school districts, state and local government entities, and private-sector organizations.

7) What types of activities does LSAMP support at the undergraduate level?

LSAMP aims to improve recruitment, retention, academic preparation, research engagement, mentoring, and other evidence-informed practices that help students persist and graduate in STEM majors.

8) What is the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity?

The LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Activity is intended to strengthen the transition from undergraduate study into graduate education by providing up to two additional years of support for eligible students pursuing STEM graduate programs at qualified alliance sites.

9) How long can LSAMP BD support students?

The BD activity is described as providing up to two additional years of support for eligible students who pursue STEM graduate programs at qualified alliance sites.

10) What is notable about the support provided through LSAMP BD?

The BD activity emphasizes substantial financial support for students who matriculate into participating graduate programs, with the broader goal of increasing graduate persistence and positioning students to continue into doctoral pathways.

11) What is AGEP within ABP?

The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program is intended to boost the success of underrepresented STEM graduate students through the doctorate while preparing them for careers as STEM faculty members and research professionals.

12) Does AGEP focus only on student support?

No. A key feature of AGEP is its explicit focus on institutional change. It targets efforts to transform campus culture, policies, and professional development structures to better attract, support, and retain doctoral students from underrepresented groups and increase their entry into the professoriate.

13) What are Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) projects?

I3 projects are described as a way for institutions to take a strategic, coordinated approach to integrating multiple NSF-funded efforts, particularly those supported through NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). The intent is to reduce fragmentation and increase impact by aligning projects, sharing data and practices, and building institution-wide approaches to STEM education improvement.

14) Are I3 projects limited to EHR-managed awards?

The solicitation emphasizes EHR-managed awards but indicates that I3 integration is not necessarily limited only to those.

15) Which EHR programs were linked to I3 proposals for the fiscal year referenced?

The notice links I3 proposals to nine EHR programs: CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP.

16) What is the funding instrument used for this NSF opportunity?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, indicating a more hands-on federal role in oversight and partnership compared with a standard grant.

17) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered under CFDA 47.076 (Education and Human Resources).

18) What is the estimated total funding amount and expected number of awards?

The opportunity lists an estimated total funding amount of $12.5 million and anticipates around 20 awards.

19) What is the typical size range for individual awards?

Individual awards range broadly, with a stated minimum (floor) of $100,000 and a stated maximum (ceiling) of $5,000,000.

20) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the provided information.

21) Who is eligible to apply for ABP?

Eligibility is primarily centered on accredited U.S. institutions of higher education with a U.S.-based campus, including both two-year and four-year colleges and universities (community colleges included).

22) Who can submit proposals for LSAMP and LSAMP BD?

For LSAMP and LSAMP BD, proposals must be submitted by universities and colleges acting on behalf of their faculty members.

23) Who is eligible to submit I3 proposals?

For I3, eligibility is limited to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education. However, if an I3 proposal is exclusively focused on STEM education or related research, then the broader categories of eligible proposers described in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide may apply.

24) What are the leadership expectations for LSAMP and LSAMP BD proposals?

For LSAMP and LSAMP BD, the President or Provost of the lead institution is expected to serve as the Principal Investigator (PI). If another PI is proposed, the institution must provide a strong justification.

25) What are the leadership expectations for I3 proposals?

For I3 proposals, the PI must generally be the provost or equivalent chief academic officer, unless the work is exclusively I3 STEM education or related research.

26) Are there different due dates for different ABP components?

Yes. The solicitation includes multiple due dates tied to different program tracks and activities, reflecting that ABP is a cluster of related opportunities rather than a single deadline.

27) Which tracks are mentioned as having their own deadlines in the timeline?

The timeline mentions dates for LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate, Innovation through Institutional Integration, and the core LSAMP and LSAMP educational research project deadlines.

28) Where does the notice direct applicants for full details and official documentation?

The funding notice references NSF Publication 09-515 for full details.

29) Where are applicants directed for technical access questions?

For technical access questions, the notice directs users to NSF's grants.gov support channel.

30) What is the overarching pathway ABP is trying to build?

ABP is designed as a connected pathway that supports students from undergraduate education through graduate education, doctoral completion, and ultimately into STEM faculty and research careers.