Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)

Program Overview (NSF 12-554)

Jessie DeAro, Ph.D.AGEP Program Officer National Science FoundationQuestions: AGEP@nsf.gov

Increase the numbers of URMs entering and completing STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training.◦ URMs are African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians,

Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders ◦ Male and female URMs, and URMs with disabilities, may require

different strategies

Despite increasing trends, URMs are still under represented in various STEM disciplines compared to the available pool of candidates.◦ Cannot just wait for representation to catch up◦ We know that there are organizational, societal, and cultural issues that

impact participation which can be mitigated

AGEP Program Goal

AGEP-Transformation◦ Alliance required◦ 42 month project (possibility of 12-60 more months)

◦ Up to $1.75 M depending on scope of project

AGEP-Knowledge Adoption and Translation◦ Up to 60 months◦ ~$200,000 to $350,000 per year depending on scope of project

AGEP-Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education

◦ Up to 36 months◦ Up to $525,000 total award

Proposals due October 30, 2012

AGEP Tracks

Goal: To develop, implement, and study innovative evidence-

based models and standards of STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training experiences designed to improve URM participation, preparation, and success in STEM graduate education and postdoctoral training.

Scope: One STEM discipline or multi-, cross-, or inter-disciplinary

areas Multiple disciplines (a subset or all STEM fields)

AGEP-Transformation

Alliances: Must be Strategic:◦ Leverage shared goals and resources◦ Create educational, training, and career opportunities and pathways

Partners may include:◦ Non-profit institutions of higher education◦ Industry◦ Non-profit organizations◦ Federal National laboratories ◦ Others◦ Note that AGEP grant funding is limited to the organizations that

are eligible for NSF support

AGEP-Transformation

Activities: Maximum flexibility to design activities, however:◦ Must be evidence-based activities ◦ Activities must be “alliance-based” activities that could not be

implemented without the proposed alliance ◦ Limit on direct student support (max up to 20%)

Expected to achieve significant long-term transformation within the STEM discipline(s) and the alliance partners.

Social science research component:◦ Issues related to URMs in graduate education and/or postdoctoral training

programs, and their interest in, preparation for, and success in academic STEM careers at all types of institutions

◦ A collaborator with social science expertise is expected (extra five pages to describe the social science research)

AGEP-Transformation

Goal: To support the dissemination to new stakeholders and/or the

adoption (or adaptation) of research findings and evidence-based strategies and practices to increase the participation and success of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training

Scope: Projects are expected to broaden the adoption (or adaptation) of

demonstrated strategies and practices. The materials, tools, and practices must have been demonstrated

to be effective in improving outcomes of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and/or their preparation for academic STEM careers.

AGEP-Knowledge Adoption and Translation

Goal: To advance understanding of the underlying issues affecting

the participation and success of URMs in STEM graduate education, postdoctoral training, and academic STEM careers at all types of institutions of higher education.

Scope: Studies of the behavioral, cognitive, affective,

learning, social factors, organizational, institutional, and/or systemic processes that may have an impact on URM participation and success

AGEP-Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education