Funding-NSF ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers - NSF 12-584; February 8, 2013

Request for Expression of Interest – NSF ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers - NSF 12-584

The Office of the Provost is interested in gauging the interest of UK faculty in leading or participating in an institutional proposal for the NSF ADVANCE program.

The goal of the ADVANCE program is to develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.  Proposals that address the participation and advancement of academic STEM women from underrepresented minority groups and women with disabilities are particularly encouraged.  Further, given the increasing emphasis on international collaborations in many STEM disciplines, and the importance of international recognition to career advancement, proposal components that systemically enhance and provide access to international collaborations are encouraged.

In 2012-2013, this program will support the following types of ADVANCE Projects:

• Institutional Transformation (IT) - IT projects (5 year duration) are expected to include innovative and systemic organizational approaches to transform institutions of higher education in ways that will increase the participation and advancement of women in STEM academic careers.  These awards support comprehensive programs for institution-wide change.  IT proposals must include a 5-page research study designed to investigate theory-driven models and innovations related to the participation and advancement of women in academic STEM disciplines, and to inform institutional transformation.
• Institutional Transformation Catalyst (IT-Catalyst)  IT-Catalyst projects (2 year duration) are designed to support institutional self-assessment activities, such as data collection and analysis and policy review, in order to identify specific issues in the recruitment, retention and promotion of women faculty in STEM disciplines.   This type of work is fundamental for institutions that plan to undertake institutional transformation. 
• Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID) – The NSF Deadline (November 8, 2012) has passed for PAID projects under this solicitation.

See the complete program announcement for additional details and requirements:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12584/nsf12584.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

LIMITED SUBMISSION: Organizations may only submit one IT proposal or one IT-Catalyst proposal. 

ACTION: Due to this limitation and the institution-wide nature of the program, the Office of the Provost requests that UK faculty who have interest in leading or participating in an ADVANCE IT or IT-Catalyst project send a paragraph describing his or her interest to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, by Friday, February 8, 2013.

Everyone who expresses an interest in ADVANCE will receive a response regarding the next steps for creating an institutional proposal before the NSF deadlines:  Letter of Intent (required) - October 4, 2013, and Full proposal - November 12, 2013.