Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education

The DEI in STEM Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is seeking to invest in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) [1] and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs at other colleges and universities. The Foundation’s Equity-Minded Pathways to STEM Graduate Education program will support institutional pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics. [2]  Our intent is to create and strengthen diverse, inclusive, and equitable pathways to and through STEM graduate education with the recognition that student pathways are too often disrupted by systemic racism, discrimination, and bias through prevailing institutional and departmental policy and practice. We acknowledge that some innovative work is already underway across the country, but much more work needs to be done.

With these understandings, the Sloan Foundation is soliciting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for projects that seek to dismantle systemic barriers and create sustainable pathways to graduate education in the above disciplines for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students. Compelling LOIs will result in the invitation of a full proposal. Proposed projects may take multiple forms, for example, planning activities on MSI campuses that set the stage for new pathways between MSIs and graduate programs at other MSIs or at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs); projects that establish mutually beneficial partnerships between undergraduate and graduate programs at two or more institutions, at least one of which must be a MSI; and reform of graduate recruitment efforts, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, and other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures within STEM graduate programs that open doors for students from MSIs. In short, we are looking to invest in efforts that seek to change the nature of graduate pathways at multiple levels, instead of reinforcing existing systems that fail to truly serve many Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students.

All projects must have at least one MSI partner. When two or more institutions are the proposed  grantees, it is preferred that the primary PI be housed at the MSI. These are the MSI institutions in Washington State:

• Heritage University, Toppenish
• Northwest Indian College, Bellingham
• Seattle Vocational Institute, Seattle

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. a 1-2 page letter of intent that:

• includes a brief description of the proposed activity
• details who the proposed MSI partner is and who the PI at the MSI partner is.
• Addresses this statement from the RFA: “Submissions from diverse teams led by women and Black, Latinx, and Indigenous individuals are strongly encouraged”
• Indicates which of the three types of grants the PI plans to apply for:

• Planning grants to support two or more institutions to conduct internal reviews of existing barriers to student success and for analysis and planning for future systemic change partnerships/collaborations (Up to $75,000 for 1 year);
• Seed grants to support work at two or more institutions that seek to formalize existing systemic change partnerships/collaborations and launch a small set of pilot initiatives (Up to $250,000 over 1-2 years); and
• Implementation grants to support work at two or more institutions that allow for the creation, augmentation or scaling of significant formal systemic change partnerships/collaborations (Up to $500,000 over 2-3 years).

2. CV of the UW PI

to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Thursday, May 6, 2021. Applications are due to the sponsor 6/1/21, so you will need to have your materials in to OSP by 5/21/21, if given the go-ahead by the review committee.