Broadening Participation in Engineering | PD 19 7680

NSF Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) Grant (PD 19-7680) FAQs

1) What is the NSF Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) grant?

The NSF Broadening Participation in Engineering (BPE) grant opportunity (PD 19-7680) supports rigorous research designed to strengthen the future U.S. engineering workforce by expanding access and success for people who have been historically underrepresented in engineering.

2) What is the main purpose of BPE funding?

BPE is aimed at building the evidence base. Instead of funding general program activities by themselves, the program prioritizes research that helps educators, employers, and policymakers understand what works, why it works, and how successful approaches can be adapted and scaled across different settings.

3) Is BPE focused on programs or on research?

BPE is research-centered. While projects may include interventions or methods, the expectation is that the work is rigorous and produces evidence and knowledge that extends beyond a single local implementation.

4) Who is BPE intended to benefit?

BPE prioritizes broadening participation for populations that have been historically underrepresented in engineering, including a wide range of identities and lived experiences (such as gender identity and expression; specific racial and ethnic groups; disability; LGBTQ individuals; first-generation college students; and people from low socio-economic backgrounds).

5) Which racial and ethnic groups are specifically highlighted by BPE?

The opportunity specifically highlights African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders as groups that have been underrepresented in engineering.

6) Does BPE support research involving disability, LGBTQ identity, and first-generation status?

Yes. The program explicitly includes disability, LGBTQ individuals, and first-generation college students among the populations and identities it prioritizes for broadening participation in engineering.

7) Does BPE encourage intersectional research (more than one identity factor at a time)?

Yes. A key theme is that underrepresentation is not driven by a single factor, so BPE encourages research that reflects real-world complexity and examines how social identities intersect (for example, first-generation status combined with an underrepresented racial or ethnic identity, or disability combined with gender-based barriers).

8) What parts of the engineering pathway can BPE research address?

BPE seeks research spanning the full education-to-career pipeline, from K-12 through higher education and into the engineering workforce.

9) What kinds of barriers does BPE want projects to study?

BPE is interested in studies that identify and analyze systemic barriers that discourage entry into engineering or make persistence difficult. Examples described in the opportunity include limited early exposure to meaningful engineering learning, uneven preparation opportunities, weak or inconsistent support structures, and environments that do not sustain interest and participation over time.

10) Does BPE support research on enabling factors and support systems?

Yes. In addition to diagnosing barriers, BPE supports research on enabling factors such as support systems, mentoring structures, peer and professional networks, and strategies that improve awareness of engineering careers and multiple engineering pathways.

11) Can BPE fund the development and testing of new methods or interventions?

Yes. BPE funds the development and testing of innovative methods and interventions that can significantly improve recruitment and retention outcomes, with an expectation that the work is data-informed and produces models that can be replicated in other contexts.

12) Does BPE support projects focused on recruiting and retaining underrepresented engineering faculty?

Yes. BPE explicitly supports work focused on aggressively recruiting and retaining underrepresented tenure-track engineering faculty, recognizing faculty diversity as a lever for long-term change in climate, mentorship, and institutional decision-making.

13) Is organizational or culture change within engineering part of BPE?

Yes. Culture change is a core interest. BPE encourages research and strategies that transform norms, policies, and everyday practices so that diversity, equity, and inclusion become embedded priorities across the engineering enterprise rather than add-on initiatives.

14) What does BPE mean by scalable and sustainable outcomes?

BPE expects funded work to produce outcomes that are scalable, sustainable, and broadly applicable across different institutions, communities, and demographic contexts. The program is looking for evidence that can inform broader engineering education practice and workforce development decisions, not only a single site or local program.

15) Do proposals need to be grounded in theory and prior literature?

Yes. Because the program is research-centered, proposals are expected to be grounded in current theory and scientific literature and to make a clear contribution beyond what is already known.

16) What is NSF INCLUDES, and how does it relate to BPE?

NSF highlights alignment and collaboration with the NSF INCLUDES National Network, an NSF-wide infrastructure focused on achieving significant, scaled impact in STEM inclusion and workforce development. BPE proposals that make meaningful connections to existing NSF INCLUDES efforts (such as Alliances or the Coordination Hub) are encouraged when the collaboration strengthens both projects.

17) Is collaboration with NSF INCLUDES required?

The opportunity encourages meaningful connections to NSF INCLUDES efforts when they strengthen the project, reflecting NSF interest in interconnected, community-driven solutions rather than isolated efforts.

18) What must a BPE proposal clearly state about the populations it serves?

Proposals must clearly state how the project will broaden participation for one or more targeted underrepresented populations and must justify why those groups are the focus using relevant research on underrepresentation.

19) What does BPE require in terms of objectives and outcomes?

Applicants are expected to set specific, applicable objectives and include measurable outcomes so reviewers can judge progress and impact.

20) Is evaluation required for BPE projects?

Yes. Projects must include a concrete evaluation and assessment mechanism as part of the management plan, with measurable outcomes.

21) What does BPE expect for dissemination of findings?

Dissemination is treated as more than academic publishing. Applicants are expected to identify who needs to use the findings (for example, departments, deans, student support offices, professional societies, industry partners, or state and national decision-makers) and propose strategies to reach those audiences through channels that can drive adoption.

22) Are there special instructions for the Project Summary?

Yes. The Project Summary must include 3 to 5 keywords listed on a separate line at the end of the Overview section.

23) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

This is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity under CFDA 47.041.

24) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any entity type, subject to any clarifications in the full opportunity text.

25) When are proposals due?

Proposals are accepted at any time, with no single fixed deadline indicated in the provided information.

26) How many awards does NSF expect to make under BPE?

NSF anticipates making around 20 awards.

27) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

An award ceiling is not specified in the provided information.

28) Should applicants contact NSF before submitting a proposal?

Yes. NSF strongly encourages prospective principal investigators to speak with the program director before submitting to confirm fit with BPE priorities and strengthen alignment with the program’s strategic goals.

29) What types of audiences should a BPE project plan to reach?

The opportunity gives examples of intended users of findings beyond researchers, including academic departments, deans, student support offices, professional societies, industry partners, and state and national decision-makers.

30) What makes a BPE project a good fit, based on the opportunity description?

Based on the description, a good fit is a project that is research-driven, theory- and literature-grounded, focused on underrepresented populations in engineering, includes clear objectives and measurable evaluation, produces knowledge that can be replicated and scaled, and includes a dissemination plan designed to drive real-world adoption across institutions and communities.