Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering  (BRIGE)

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 09-1, was issued on October 1, 2008 and is effective for proposals submitted on or after January 5, 2009. Please be advised that the guidelines contained in NSF 09-1 apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.  Proposers who opt to submit prior to January 5^th, 2009, must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 09-1.

One of the most significant changes to the PAPPG is implementation of the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act.  Each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a separate section within the 15-page project description, a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals.  Proposals that do not include a separate section on mentoring activities within the Project Description will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II.C.2.d for further information).

DUE DATES

SYNOPSIS

The Directorate for Engineering (ENG) at the National Science Foundation offers a research initiation grant funding opportunity with the goal of broadening participation to all engineers including members from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines.  

These grants are intended to increase the diversity of researchers in engineering disciplines to initiate research programs early in their careers, including those from underrepresented groups, engineers at minority serving institutions, and persons with disabilities.

By providing these funding opportunities, ENG intends to further broaden participation of engineering researchers who share NSF's commitment to diversity in the following ways:

• Expand the population of role models who will interact with an increasingly diverse student population, the workforce of the future
• Increase the number of engineering researchers at minority serving institutions actively and competitively engaged in research as independent investigators, thereby creating new research opportunities for students from underrepresented groups
• Fund engineering research projects that use innovative ways to attract and retain members of underrepresented groups to careers in engineering

Awards are for 24 months and are limited to a maximum of $175,000 total costs (direct plus indirect). Principal Investigators must be U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted U.S. permanent residents at the time of application; visa-holders are not eligible.

THIS PROGRAM IS PART OF

Engineering Education Programs

Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program