Broadening Participation in Engineering | 22 514

Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 514

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) program is a discretionary grant opportunity designed to strengthen the future U.S. engineering workforce by expanding who participates and succeeds in engineering. The core idea is straightforward: engineering talent is spread across all communities, and the country benefits when the engineering enterprise is accessible, welcoming, and equitable for everyone. BPE supports efforts that both study what drives participation and equity in engineering and build practical, scalable approaches that help more students and professionals thrive within engineering education and career pathways.

A central feature of BPE is that it funds both knowledge-building and action-oriented work. On the research side, the program encourages rigorous study into the "science of broadening participation" in engineering, including how educational environments, policies, cultures, mentoring structures, and institutional practices shape student experiences and outcomes. On the implementation side, it supports collaborative projects that develop and test strategies to create inclusive, equitable engineering learning experiences and to prepare a diverse, highly skilled engineering workforce. The solicitation emphasizes not just incremental improvements, but also innovative or even "revolutionary" approaches that build long-term capacity and shift systems toward inclusivity.

NSF organizes BPE projects into four tracks, allowing applicants to propose work that matches their level of readiness and the scale of their ambition. Track 1 focuses on Planning and Conference Grants, which typically support early-stage coordination, partnership-building, agenda setting, or convenings that move the field forward. Track 2 supports Research in Broadening Participation in Engineering, aimed at generating evidence and theory that can guide effective interventions and inform engineering education practice and policy. Track 3 funds Inclusive Mentoring Hubs (IMHubs), which are structured, collaborative efforts to strengthen mentoring practices and networks in ways that measurably improve inclusion and outcomes. Track 4 supports Centers for Equity in Engineering (CEE), which are larger-scale, more complex center-type efforts intended to build sustained capacity and leadership around equity in engineering, often involving multiple partners and a broader footprint.

In terms of logistics, the opportunity is listed as "Broadening Participation in Engineering" with Funding Opportunity Number 22-514 and CFDA number 47.041 under the NSF. Awards are issued as grants, and the funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The listed award ceiling is $1,200,000, and NSF anticipates making about 40 awards. Eligibility is noted as "Others" with additional clarification in the official eligibility text, meaning applicants should check the program description for specifics about which organizations or institution types qualify.

The timing and submission structure depends on the track. For Tracks 3 and 4, the solicitation lists target dates (with an original closing date of January 28, 2022 referenced for those tracks). For Tracks 1 and 2, proposals are accepted at any time, offering more flexibility for planning grants and research proposals. For Track 4 (Centers for Equity in Engineering), letters of intent (LOIs) are strongly recommended, signaling that NSF expects coordination and early communication for center-scale submissions. Overall, BPE is meant to be a flexible vehicle for strengthening engineering through equity-focused research, mentoring infrastructure, collaborative capacity-building, and center-level leadership that can shift engineering education and workforce pathways toward broader participation.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Broadening Participation in Engineering" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 28, 2022 These target dates are for BPE proposals submitted to Tracks 3 and 4 ONLY. Proposals will be accepted at ANYTIME for BPE Tracks 1 and 2. LOIs are strongly recommended for Track 4.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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