2434437
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Assessing the impact of an inclusive community of practice to advance motivation and persistence among STEM student researchers.
The National Science Foundation is committed to enhancing undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at historically Black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions to broaden participation in the nation's STEM workforce.
Towards this goal, this project seeks to leverage the extensive experience of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) through their role in convening the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM and examining its impacts on improving motivation and persistence among undergraduate and graduate students.
Since 2011, the ERN Conference has engaged a diverse group of participants of more than 14,000 students and faculty, all of whom have engaged in STEM education and research initiatives supported by NSF programs.
Prior data collection efforts have primarily focused on assessing the conference’s targeted activities, whereby aggregated data have revealed evidence to support advances in students’ awareness of educational and career opportunities.
This project builds on these learnings and aims to implement a standardized data collection protocol to support a more in-depth analysis.
The new analysis will generate predictive indicators of student success by considering demographic and various qualitative data that provide a rich description of the lived experience of participants and consider participation patterns over time.
Collectively, the results have the potential to provide a better understanding of the long-term impacts of participation in ERN on specific student populations.
AAAS will conduct a five-year longitudinal study that employs a mixed methods approach with the ERN Conference as the primary data source.
The data will be disaggregated to determine trends across various demographics to include institution type and STEM discipline-specific research areas.
This project will assess the role of mentoring for both students and faculty, as well as the role of community-specific engagement to support students with disabilities, support student well-being and mental health, and engage students with their disciplinary professional societies.
The project provides a unique opportunity to foster talent development within the STEM workforce, as well as deepen and expand current understanding of how targeted efforts centered on research capacity, community building, and career preparation contribute to advancing motivation in STEM.
This project will engage a direct target of 5,000+ students (~1,000 annually), 500+ (~100 annually) faculty, and other constituents within the broader STEM community.
The broader impact of this analysis of ERN participants will contribute to a more inclusive STEM ecosystem to address global challenges.
This project is co-funded by the following NSF programs in the STEM Education Directorate: the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and the Eddie Bernice Johnson Includes Initiative.
Cross directorate co-funding support is also provided by the Physics Program in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, Crosscutting Activities Program in the Geosciences Directorate, the Broadening Participation in Engineering Program in the Engineering Directorate, and the Emerging Frontiers Division in the Biological Sciences Directorate.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
The National Science Foundation is committed to enhancing undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at historically Black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions to broaden participation in the nation's STEM workforce.
Towards this goal, this project seeks to leverage the extensive experience of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) through their role in convening the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM and examining its impacts on improving motivation and persistence among undergraduate and graduate students.
Since 2011, the ERN Conference has engaged a diverse group of participants of more than 14,000 students and faculty, all of whom have engaged in STEM education and research initiatives supported by NSF programs.
Prior data collection efforts have primarily focused on assessing the conference’s targeted activities, whereby aggregated data have revealed evidence to support advances in students’ awareness of educational and career opportunities.
This project builds on these learnings and aims to implement a standardized data collection protocol to support a more in-depth analysis.
The new analysis will generate predictive indicators of student success by considering demographic and various qualitative data that provide a rich description of the lived experience of participants and consider participation patterns over time.
Collectively, the results have the potential to provide a better understanding of the long-term impacts of participation in ERN on specific student populations.
AAAS will conduct a five-year longitudinal study that employs a mixed methods approach with the ERN Conference as the primary data source.
The data will be disaggregated to determine trends across various demographics to include institution type and STEM discipline-specific research areas.
This project will assess the role of mentoring for both students and faculty, as well as the role of community-specific engagement to support students with disabilities, support student well-being and mental health, and engage students with their disciplinary professional societies.
The project provides a unique opportunity to foster talent development within the STEM workforce, as well as deepen and expand current understanding of how targeted efforts centered on research capacity, community building, and career preparation contribute to advancing motivation in STEM.
This project will engage a direct target of 5,000+ students (~1,000 annually), 500+ (~100 annually) faculty, and other constituents within the broader STEM community.
The broader impact of this analysis of ERN participants will contribute to a more inclusive STEM ecosystem to address global challenges.
This project is co-funded by the following NSF programs in the STEM Education Directorate: the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST), Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), and the Eddie Bernice Johnson Includes Initiative.
Cross directorate co-funding support is also provided by the Physics Program in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, Crosscutting Activities Program in the Geosciences Directorate, the Broadening Participation in Engineering Program in the Engineering Directorate, and the Emerging Frontiers Division in the Biological Sciences Directorate.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Funding Goals
NOT APPLICABLE
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Washington,
District Of Columbia
20005-3928
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
NOT APPLICABLE
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 2441% from $250,000 to $6,353,605.
American Association For The Advancement Of Science was awarded
Inclusive Community of Practice: Advancing STEM Student Motivation & Persistence
Project Grant 2434437
worth $6,353,605
from the Division of Physics in August 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Washington District Of Columbia United States.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 8/21/25
Period of Performance
8/15/24
Start Date
7/31/29
End Date
Funding Split
$6.4M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$6.4M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to 2434437
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2434437
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
For-Profit Organization (Other Than Small Business)
Awarding Office
491106 DIVISION OF EQUITY FOR EXCELLENCE IN STEM
Funding Office
490301 DIVISION OF PHYSICS
Awardee UEI
ZGKVAM2JVKG2
Awardee CAGE
1JJH3
Performance District
DC-98
Modified: 8/21/25