Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education – Jul 1

Posted by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation on June 4, 2024

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation invites LOIs for Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has issued a call for letters of inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative.

Through the initiative, the foundation aims to continue its investment in minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide. Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional knowledge on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

Three types of grants will be funded:

Planning grants: Grants of up to $75,000 over up to one year will be awarded to enable two or more institutions to conduct internal reviews of existing barriers to student success and for analysis and planning for a future partnership(s).

Seed grants: Grants of up to $250,000 over one to two years will be awarded to two or more institutions working to formalize an existing partnership(s) and launch one or more pilot initiatives.

Implementation grants: Grants of up to $500,000 over two to three years will be awarded to two or more institutions, allowing for the augmentation or scaling of existing partnerships/collaborations.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit two- and four-year colleges and universities, college and university systems or consortia, professional societies and associations (along with two or more partnering colleges/universities), and university-affiliated research centers or laboratories. All projects must have at least one MSI partner. Lead investigators from submitting and partner institutions should be at the full, associate, or assistant professor level, a department chair, or in an administrative role with high connectivity to academic positions.

Letters of inquiry are due July 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation website.

Deadline: July 1, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. ET (Letters of Inquiry)