NSF Research: Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) aims to address systemic barriers that have historically excluded underrepresented groups from full participation in geoscience education, research, and careers. Research indicates that underrepresented scholars in STEM contribute disproportionately to scientific innovation but often face barriers to persistence within academic systems. Despite efforts across STEM fields, the geosciences continue to lag in creating a diverse and inclusive community of researchers, scholars, and practitioners. To address these challenges, GEO seeks proposals that implement innovative and scalable strategies to increase recruitment, retention, and sustained participation of individuals from historically excluded groups in the geosciences. The program focuses on two key areas: Professional Development (PD) and Geoscience Capacity Building at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). For Professional Development, GEO seeks proposals aimed at creating and scaling training programs to build Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BAJEDI) leadership. This includes developing professional development models for graduate students and postdocs entering the workforce, creating inclusive curriculum and standards for education and research practices, and providing guidance for institutions to develop BAJEDI plans. Additionally, proposals may explore ways to recognize and reward BAJEDI leadership activities in academic promotion systems. The overarching goal is to foster a sustained cohort of diversity leaders who can drive systemic change across the geoscience ecosystem. For Geoscience Capacity Building at MSIs, GEO recognizes the unique strengths of these institutions in supporting diverse student populations and seeks proposals that establish or expand geoscience programs. This may include developing partnerships and collaborative infrastructure to create degree-granting geoscience programs, building pilot bridge programs to connect students from high school through workforce entry, and identifying and addressing institutional barriers that hinder program sustainability. Proposals might also focus on establishing grant management infrastructure to support long-term program viability and ensure continued growth and success. Successful proposals should integrate expertise from social and behavioral sciences to address systemic inequities effectively. Teams are encouraged to incorporate proven strategies and best practices, drawing from lessons learned through programs like GOLD (Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity) and NSF INCLUDES. Dissemination of results, collaboration across institutions, and contributions to the broader geoscience community are also expected components of competitive proposals. Proposals will be evaluated based on their alignment with the mission and goals of NSF's GOLD Program and their ability to demonstrate meaningful and measurable contributions to BAJEDI outcomes in the geosciences. Failure to clearly demonstrate relevance to these objectives will result in the proposal being declined. Applications should outline clear metrics for success, provide plans for sustainable and scalable impacts, and include mechanisms for sharing insights and outcomes with the broader community. By prioritizing professional development, structural change, and capacity building at MSIs, GEO aims to foster a geoscience community that reflects the diversity of the nation’s population and maximizes the contributions of all available talent. Proposers are encouraged to build collaborations, leverage existing resources, and contribute to the systemic transformation necessary for inclusive participation and long-term equity in the geosciences.