Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program | Apply Online

NSF HBCU UP (NSF 15-552) Grant Opportunity: Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the NSF Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU UP)?

HBCU UP is a discretionary grant program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (NSF 15-552; CFDA 47.076, Education and Human Resources) focused on strengthening undergraduate STEM education and research at accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that offer undergraduate STEM degree programs.

2) What is the main goal of HBCU UP?

The central aim is to broaden participation in the U.S. STEM workforce by improving HBCU undergraduate preparation, achievement, retention, and STEM degree completion, and by positioning more students to move into STEM graduate programs and STEM careers.

3) Why does NSF emphasize HBCUs in this program?

The program is grounded in national data indicating that, while a relatively small share of Black undergraduates attend HBCUs, HBCUs produce a disproportionately large share of Black STEM bachelor’s degrees and a major share of future Black STEM doctorate recipients. This makes HBCUs critical for meeting rising national STEM talent needs.

4) What kinds of projects does HBCU UP support?

HBCU UP supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based, innovative approaches that measurably improve undergraduate STEM outcomes. NSF places emphasis on thoughtful design, strong implementation capacity, and appropriate assessment or research methods so projects produce local impact and generate insights that can be shared and adopted more broadly.

5) How is the opportunity structured?

The opportunity is organized into multiple tracks so institutions can pursue efforts ranging from targeted, short-term improvements to broader institutional transformations and national research hubs.

6) What are Targeted Infusion Projects (TIP)?

TIP awards support short-term, well-defined efforts to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education at an HBCU. Examples described in the announcement include addressing a specific bottleneck course sequence, strengthening a particular lab component, or implementing a focused student success intervention.

7) What are Broadening Participation Research (BPR) projects?

BPR awards support theory-driven research in STEM education that develops and studies new models, strategies, and innovations tied to participation and success of underrepresented groups in undergraduate STEM.

8) Does the BPR track require specific expertise on the project team?

Yes. The announcement indicates that at least one Principal Investigator (PI) must have education or social science research experience, reflecting the research-heavy nature of the BPR track.

9) What are Research Initiation Awards (RIA)?

RIA awards are intended to help HBCU STEM faculty build or expand their research programs. This can occur at the home institution or through collaboration at NSF-funded centers, research-intensive universities, or national laboratories.

10) Are there restrictions on who can serve as PI or co-PI on an RIA?

Yes. For RIAs, the PI must be an HBCU STEM faculty member, and co-PIs and senior personnel are not permitted under this track, according to the announcement.

11) What are Implementation Projects?

Implementation Projects support broader, comprehensive institutional efforts to strengthen STEM education and research. The explicit goal is increasing the number of STEM bachelor’s degrees and improving the quality of student preparation through integrated, campus-level change.

12) What are Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Implementation Projects?

ACE Implementation Projects are a category within Implementation Projects intended for HBCUs that already demonstrate exemplary outcomes and have institutionalized foundations built from prior Implementation Project awards.

13) What are Broadening Participation Research Centers under HBCU UP?

These centers are intended for institutions with a deep history in the program. Centers are expected to conduct world-class research on STEM education and broadening participation, serve as a national hub for rigorous study and dissemination of effective pedagogies and culturally responsive interventions, and provide outreach that builds capacity across other HBCUs to conduct this kind of research.

14) What prior experience is expected for institutions seeking to establish a Broadening Participation Research Center?

The announcement specifies that centers are intended for institutions that have completed three rounds of Implementation or ACE Implementation Projects.

15) How do the different tracks relate to impact beyond a single campus?

Across tracks, NSF emphasizes not only local improvements but also generating insights that can be shared and adopted more broadly. At the highest level, the Center model is explicitly positioned as a national hub to accelerate and scale promising strategies across the broader HBCU ecosystem.

16) What is the estimated total funding available under this opportunity?

The announcement lists an estimated total funding amount of $21.9 million.

17) What is the award size range for this opportunity?

Awards range from a minimum (floor) of $300,000 up to a maximum (ceiling) of $9,000,000.

18) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to accredited HBCUs that offer undergraduate STEM degree programs.

20) Do PI expectations differ by track?

Yes. The announcement notes that PI expectations vary by track. TIP PIs lead project implementation; BPR PIs manage the research and include relevant education/social science expertise; RIA PIs must be STEM faculty at the HBCU with no co-PIs; and Implementation/ACE/Center PIs and co-PIs should be the key personnel guiding execution of the project or center.

21) When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on March 6, 2015. The original and final closing date listed is October 7, 2015.

22) Is this opportunity still active?

The announcement includes an archive date of February 19, 2016, and lists October 7, 2015 as the final closing date.

23) Where can applicants find the full program guidance?

The announcement points applicants to NSF Publication 15-552 for full program guidance.

24) Who should be contacted for technical access questions related to Grants.gov?

The announcement directs technical access questions to NSF’s Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

25) What kinds of outcomes does NSF want projects to improve?

The announcement highlights measurable improvements in undergraduate STEM outcomes, including student preparation, achievement, retention, and degree completion, along with increased pathways into STEM graduate programs and STEM careers.

26) How does NSF describe the importance of assessment and research methods in proposals?

NSF emphasizes thoughtful design, strong implementation capacity, and appropriate assessment or research methods so that projects not only produce local benefits but also generate insights that can be shared more broadly.