NSF CISE Research Expansion Principal Investigators Conference, 2023-2024

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), in collaboration with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), is conducting a grantees meeting to convene principal investigators (PIs) from the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Minority-Serving Institutions (CISE-MSI) Research Expansion Program. The meeting provides an opportunity for participants to share ongoing/formative experiences about their project, with a focus on creating opportunities to disseminate promising practices and engage in collaborative problem-solving around shared challenges. Specifically, the meetings: a) provide the opportunity for grantees and other researchers to interact directly with one another and NSF representatives—in turn, increasing knowledge, generating and sharing ideas; b) strengthen professional networks and collaborative relationships; and c) share lessons learned with emerging researchers who plan to submit a new CISE-MSI solicitation proposal in the next two years. The project builds on practice in community-building, particularly among faculty researchers at MSIs, who share a common focus on diversity and inclusion. The project takes advantage of the proximity of Tribal College and University faculty to the in-person meeting venue, providing an opportunity to engage faculty interested in participating in an upcoming round of CISE-MSI funding. The project goals are threefold: 1) host an in-person 2.5-day Grantees Meeting inviting all current CISE-MSI PI Team Grantees to participate in plenary sessions, information gathering/sharing, mentoring and community building; 2) facilitate a virtual 5-week Proposal Development Workshop providing aspiring CISE-MSI research teams with instruction, writing labs, and expert feedback on the development of key components of their proposals (e.g., project description, budget/budget justification, and project summary); and 3) deploy a Mentoring Program so that each aspiring CISE-MSI research team is matched with experienced coaching to support their progress throughout the program. A key outcome of the meetings is a multi-stakeholder agenda that addresses current issues facing engineering—ultimately, advancing knowledge in a variety of engineering fields by providing forums for MSI CISE awardees and stakeholders to learn, explore, and share ideas that promote innovation in education, research, and practice and produce transformational engineered systems and engineering graduates adept at technological innovation and leadership. Results of the meetings include establishing the groundwork for a community of practice where PIs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHs) can collectively further their respective program goals as well as the broader goals of the CISE-MSI program. 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.