Funding-Limited Submission - NSF Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) NSF 10-599; September 16, 2010

The Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) supports research and education in the Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric, and Geospace Sciences. The Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG) Program is designed to address the fact that certain groups are underrepresented in the geosciences relative to their proportions in the general population. The primary goal of the OEDG Program is to increase participation in the geosciences by African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans (American Indians and Alaskan Natives), Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesians or Micronesians), and persons with disabilities. A secondary goal of the program is to increase the perceived relevance of the geosciences among broad and diverse segments of the population. The OEDG Program supports activities that will increase the number of members of underrepresented groups who:

• Are involved in formal pre-college geoscience education programs;
• Pursue and earn associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the geosciences;
• Enter geoscience careers; and
• Participate in informal geoscience education programs.

The OEDG Program offers three funding Tracks:

• OEDG Planning Grants - This Track supports planning workshops, conferences, symposia and related short-term activities that facilitate either: 1) development of new strategic plans to implement systemic, community-wide programs to broaden participation in the geosciences; or, 2) development of new partnerships or collaborations between multiple institutions seeking to establish sustainable projects that address the goals of the OEDG program.
• Track 1: Proof-of-Concept Projects - This Track supports short-term activities. Track 1 projects include activities that will occur only one time, as well as those that are intended as the testing phase of an anticipated long-term Full-Scale Project
• Track 2: Full-Scale Projects - This Track supports longer-term activities that will identify and promote pathways to geoscience careers among members of underrepresented groups.  It is expected that Track 2 proposals will establish programs that are sustainable without additional OEDG funding.  Prior Track 1 OEDG funding is not a pre-requisite for submitting a Track 2 proposal.

Institutional Limitations:

• Institutions are allowed to submit more than one Track 1 proposal.
• Institutions may submit only one Track 2 proposal as either the Lead Institution of a Collaborative Proposal or the sole submitting organization.  Institutions may participate as a non-Lead Institution for additional Collaborative Proposals submitted to Track 2.  
• Institutions may obtain funding for only one Planning Grant proposal over the lifetime of this solicitation and are not eligible to submit a Planning Grant proposal if they have received an OEDG Planning Grant through solicitation NSF 08-605.

Program details can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12726

Internal Selection: Because NSF limits the number of Track 2 proposals to one per institution, the University of Kentucky has established an internal selection process.  Prospective applicants interested in responding to this program should send a pre-proposal with the following information to Ms. Kris Hobson (hobson@email.uky.edu), Office of the Provost, 105 Main Building and a copy to their Associate Dean for Research by Thursday, September 16, 2010:

1. Names and departments of the PI and project team.

2. Proposal narrative (1-2 pages max.) that includes: 

· prior related projects

· goals and objectives.

· planned activities

· LSAMP partnership description, or if not partnering, a discussion of how project will leverage, align or complement activities offered through the current UK LSAMP alliance.

A committee will be convened to review the proposals, select one to go forward, and notify all applicants of the outcome in time for submission of the letter of intent by October 1, 2010.

Deadlines:

Required letter of intent: October 1, 2010 (required for Track 1 and Track 2 proposals)

Full proposal: November 10, 2010 (Track 1 and Track 2 only)

Full proposal October 5, 2011 (Planning grant only)