A strong workforce is vital to maintaining the nation's standard of excellence and global leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The U.S. National Science Foundation supports efforts to increase the participation of individuals, institutions and communities across the nation — ensuring broad access to resources and opportunities for discovery and innovation.
Guided by the principles of merit, competition, equal opportunity and excellence, NSF invests in evidence-based approaches that:
- Build STEM education and research capacity.
- Catalyze new areas of STEM research.
- Develop strategic partnerships and alliances.
Broadening participation is one of several approaches that can contribute to an NSF-funded project's Broader Impacts (one of the agency's two merit review criteria). Read recent updates on NSF's broadening participation priorities.
On this page
What we support
Strengthening discovery and innovation
We support partnerships and networks that provide leadership experience and advancement for faculty, staff and students while ensuring institutions have critical infrastructure to create new knowledge and innovations in STEM.
Accelerating student success in STEM
We support efforts that increase preK-12, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral success of individuals, institutions and communities interested in and committed to STEM disciplines and careers.
Expanding the geography of innovation
We support efforts to catalyze and nurture regional innovation clusters through investments in capacity building, partnerships and research infrastructure.
Research on building a stronger STEM workforce
We support empirical research to better understand individual and compounding factors that enhance or impede the nation's ability to build a dynamic and highly qualified STEM workforce.