The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently launched Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED), a program designed to break down systemic barriers that hinder underrepresented investigators, students, and institutions typically overlooked as participants in NSF’s research funding programs.

The central objective of GRANTED is to increase access to NSF resources for talented investigators at less research-intensive colleges and universities. Specifically, the program targets emerging R2 and R3 institutions, including Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), schools with a primary focus on undergraduate enrollment, and community colleges. These institutions often lack the support required to develop meritorious ideas, interact with federal program staff, stay updated on funding priorities, and navigate the intricacies of grant submission and management, according to NSF. 

“Access to research support and service infrastructure is not equitable and contributes significantly to the fragility of the enterprise,” says Kimberly Littlefield, PhD, a GRANTED program director. “Despite this inequity, it is critical that all institutions, including emerging research institutions and [MSIs], participate in the national research enterprise, that all college students have access to research experiences, and that all faculty can bring their research and discovery to the national and global enterprise.”

One key goal of GRANTED is to tap into the expertise of professionals with specialized grant-writing skills. Typically employed at the nation’s R1 institutions, these individuals can assist investigators at other schools to explore competitive ideas and ensure progress on funded projects.

The program also supports ambitious ideas and innovative strategies that address challenges and inequalities in research. Beyond funding projects, GRANTED acknowledges the importance of administrative support and service infrastructure, which play crucial roles in enabling technology transfer, public-private partnerships, community-engaged research, research compliance, and research integrity. 

The central objective of GRANTED is to increase access to NSF resources for talented investigators at less research-intensive colleges and universities. 

Successful proposals submitted to the GRANTED program will focus on activities with institutional impact rather than individual or discipline-specific research needs. Emphasizing inclusivity, proposals should engage the professional, administrative support, and service workforce in leadership roles within the projects. Additionally, proposals are required to address structural barriers and present strategies to broaden participation and implement interventions that promote DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Projects funded under GRANTED are expected to achieve several significant outcomes. First, they will help transform the national research enterprise, making it more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and diverse. Projects will also be scalable to reduce structural barriers and enhance research capacity and competitiveness. GRANTED projects will foster collaborations and partnerships and engage communities around strengthening research. 

Moreover, these initiatives will diversify project leadership, institutions, ideas, and approaches supported by NSF, ultimately broadening participation in the nation’s research endeavors.

“[GRANTED] is about new principal investigators, new institutions, and new knowledge,” says Dina Stroud, PhD, a program director. “There is very little information in this space, so we’re looking for new ideas from the community and trying to open the door very widely.”

NSF says the program represents a vital step toward fostering DEI in STEM research and training by targeting systemic barriers and improving research support and service capacity.

“We want student [participants] who are located anywhere in the nation, regardless of what kind of institution they go to, whether that’s an R1 school, a community college, an [MSI], or an emerging research institution,” says Alicia Knoedler, PhD, head of NSF’s Office of Integrative Activities. “We want to make sure they have the same kinds of opportunities and are able to participate in research and training like a student at a well-resourced institution.”●

This article was published in our September 2023 issue.