Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education
Agency: National Science Foundation
Posted: 2023-05-20 | Closing date: 2024-09-17
Research and Synthesis Project Proposal Submissions Must Adhere to this Deadline; Conference, EAGER, and RAPID Proposals are Accepted Before or After the Target Date. An EAGER or RAPID proposal may only be submitted after receipt of an NSF program officer concurrence email specifying that a proposal may be submitted.
Estimated total program funding: 5000000
Award ceiling: 1500000
Award floor: 100000
Expected number of awards: 20
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

The Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education solicitation, which is managed by the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM in the Directorate for STEM Education,supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances knowledge and practice about diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM and STEM education workplaces and postsecondary training environments for persons with disabilities. Proposals should focus on one or more of the following three research themes: (1) Studying barriers and solutions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in STEM and STEM education workplaces and training settings for persons with disabilities; (2) Applying intersectional social identity perspectives to investigate characteristics and conditions of STEM and STEM education workplaces and training environments that limit and/or improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for persons with disabilities; and (3) Conducting use-inspired and solution-oriented translational research about diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM and STEM Education workplaces and training settings for persons with disabilities. Research proposals must address key project design components: (1) The inclusion of researchers, experts, and organizations with authentic disability experiences; (2) The identification of disability type(s) to be investigated; (3) The specific STEM and/or STEM education workplaces and postsecondary training settings to be studied; (4) The use of theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks and robust research hypotheses, questions, designs, methodologies, data analyses, and data interpretation; (5) A plan to assess the success of the project; and (6) A plan for the accessible dissemination of knowledge and practice outcomes to traditional and new audiences. The amount of funding and duration requested in the Research proposals submitted in response to this solicitation should align with the maturity of the proposed work and the size and scope of the project activities. Research proposals may request a budget up to $1,500,000 and a duration up to five (5) years. All proposals should justify the requested level of funding and duration in the project description.This solicitation also invites Synthesis projects, which are a very specific type of Research proposal. Synthesis projects may propose budgets up to $600,000 and project durations up to three (3) years. This solicitation also invites proposals for Conferences, EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), and Rapid Response Research (RAPID). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) are always welcome. The solicitation’s Section II, Program Description, provides additional information about each type of proposal.

Eligibility: *Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:   -For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.   -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.   -State and Local Governments: State educational offices or organizations and local school districts.   -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting      on behalf of their faculty members.Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an      international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain      the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.   -Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.