Research on Gender in Science and Engineering FY 2009 | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled "Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE) FY 2009" (NSF Publication 09-511; Funding Opportunity Number 09-511) supports research and related activities that build a stronger evidence base about gender-based differences in STEM education and STEM workforce participation. The central aim is to improve understanding of why gender gaps persist in certain STEM fields and what changes in educational systems and environments can help close those gaps, ultimately contributing to a larger and more diverse U.S. science and engineering workforce. This program has a long history, operating since 1993 under earlier names including the Program for Women and Girls (PWG), the Program for Gender Equity in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (PGE), and Gender Diversity in STEM Education (GDSE), and it continues to prioritize broadening participation of girls and women across all STEM disciplines.

The opportunity emphasizes projects that generate rigorous knowledge about how learning experiences and educational contexts shape student interest, performance, persistence, and career choices. Typical research topics include how pedagogical approaches and teaching styles affect different learners, how curriculum design and classroom practices contribute to inclusion or exclusion, and how student services, mentoring structures, and institutional culture can either reinforce or reduce gender disparities. A key expectation is that funded projects will not only produce findings, but also communicate them effectively and support their use by a wider community, including educators, institutions, and other stakeholders who can apply proven practices.

NSF describes three main types of supported work within this program area: research, diffusion of research-based innovations, and extension services in education. Research projects are intended to test theories and hypotheses and to explain mechanisms behind gender-related differences and outcomes in STEM contexts. Diffusion projects focus on spreading and encouraging adoption of innovations that have research support behind them, helping move effective strategies beyond a single site. Extension services proposals are geared toward helping educational communities make use of research results and evidence-based practices, acting as a bridge between scholarship and implementation at scale.

One important boundary of the program is that it does not currently fund projects whose primary purpose is direct intervention or educational service delivery to students. In other words, proposals designed mainly to run a program for students, provide instruction, or offer services as the end goal are not a good fit for this solicitation. However, a student-facing intervention can be included in a research project when it is essential to collecting data needed to answer well-framed research questions, is grounded in theory and explicit hypotheses, and uses a sound evaluation design. NSF explicitly notes the need for meaningful control groups in such designs, reinforcing that the program is aimed at generating credible evidence rather than simply operating a program. Applicants who primarily want to run direct educational interventions are encouraged to look for other NSF programs that are designed for that purpose.

The solicitation also includes an NSF-wide priority mechanism called Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3). I3 projects are meant to help institutions take a strategic, integrated approach to leveraging and combining NSF-funded efforts, particularly those managed through NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). For FY 2009, I3 proposals were solicited across nine EHR programs (CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP), reflecting NSF's interest in institutional strategy and coordination rather than isolated activities.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. NSF anticipated making about 22 awards with an estimated total funding level of $5,000,000, and it did not require cost sharing or matching. The CFDA number listed is 47.076 (Education and Human Resources). Key due dates varied by proposal type: research proposals were due March 30, 2009; extension services and diffusion of research-based innovation proposals were due April 6, 2009; and I3 proposals were due August 25, 2009. Eligibility is described broadly in the announcement text, with specific limitations noted for I3: I3 eligibility is limited to U.S.-accredited institutions of higher education with a U.S.-located campus, and the principal investigator for an I3 proposal generally must be the provost or equivalent chief academic officer or the institution president, unless the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM educational or related research (in which case standard NSF proposer categories apply). For standard GSE proposals, no specific PI limits were stated.

Overall, the FY 2009 GSE opportunity is best understood as an evidence-focused NSF program aimed at explaining and reducing gender disparities in STEM through high-quality research and the broad dissemination and application of research-backed practices. It favors proposals that are theoretically grounded, methodologically strong, attentive to evaluation and comparison groups where relevant, and designed to move knowledge and tested practices into broader use rather than simply delivering services directly to students.

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