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Today’s issue was inspired by discussion on the National Organization of Research Development Professionals email listserv. This is Part 2 of a three-part series.

Last week, we discussed the basic vs. applied framework for your research in the context of the current political climate. This week, we’ll look at your outreach and education activities. PIs are asking if outreach, especially to students who have only limited exposure to hands-on STEM activities, will still be valued by funding agencies.

Below I share a clarification, an observation and recommendations on this topic:

Clarification: ‘Broader Impacts’ is not the same as ‘Broadening Participation.’

This distinction is specific to NSF and can confuse PIs. If you know it already, please bear with me because many are not yet clear on the distinction. NSF uses Broader Impacts as one of two core evaluation criteria (the other is Intellectual Merit) to refer to the potential societal benefit of the proposed research. Many benefits fit here, including increasing public engagement in STEM, supporting STEM education, as well as economic development or national security.

Broadening Participation is narrower and refers to activities intended to increase STEM-related outreach to individuals from groups that have been underrepresented, which may include women or girls, those from economically disadvantaged communities, those from certain racial or ethnic backgrounds, or veterans, among others.

The current administration’s instructions appear to affect Broadening Participation more than Broader Impacts.

Broadening Participation initiatives have always been required to comply with Title VI and Title IX, laws that prohibit discrimination. For this reason, language in announcements, job postings and proposals refers to efforts to recruit applicants or participants from underrepresented groups, rather than to select individuals based on protected characteristics.

Observation: Note that multiple STEM outreach and education program calls remain open.

As of this writing, multiple STEM-education-focused programs remain open at federal funders, including NSF and DOD. I’ve heard some PIs express surprise that these are still open, as they felt that their language may have caused them to be cancelled. This is encouraging, and it indicates that outreach and education is not one of the investment areas that are being wholly cancelled.

Recommendation: State the facts.

PIs have a tendency to sprinkle application-related buzzwords into proposals. With NSF’s emphasis in recent years on Broadening Participation and DEI, many PIs also began using verbiage to signal commitment to these aims. This is not a criticism; it’s always a good idea to use language from the proposal evaluation criteria so reviewers find important information easily.

However, buzzwords that are not backed up with well-articulated plans have never been a good idea. Now, as always, make sure you follow best practices related to your project’s educational and outreach components. Instead of general statements about ‘supporting diverse students,’ you should describe those features more precisely.

For best practices here, check our newsletter Don’t neglect written descriptions and context (October 6, 2024). Too often, to save space for technical content, PIs don’t give enough detail here. For example, it’s common for them to mention an outreach program that they plan to engage with just by name and without explaining anything about the program. See how to fix this in the newsletter issue linked above.

Recommendation: Ask the experts.

Rely on experts for guidance. This would be the program officer and your research office. Always address proposal evaluation criteria. If you feel that those criteria are not what you expect based on your understanding of the new administration, ask for clarification from the program officer -- rather than ignoring certain subjects you’ve been asked to address.

Then, when your outreach and education plans have been drafted, run them by someone in your research office. They are staying abreast of best practices and will give you the most up-to-date guidance. Remember, guidance and best practices are certain to evolve, so it’s best to keep asking over the months ahead. There are nuances with terminology in this area that can be difficult to grasp. Fortunately, research office staff have expertise with this. Do your best at writing up descriptions, then run them by someone for quick feedback, rather than tinkering with them yourself.

Recommendation: Keep up this important work.

Stay engaged with these efforts. In a highly polarized political environment, outreach and education are activities that almost everyone can support. They benefit young people all across the nation and of widely varying demographics. Program officers and reviewers value these activities and I know you do as well.

Finally, remember that community organizations have also been heavily impacted by grant cancellations, so it’s more important than ever for you to make an effort to support the viability of programs and organizations that are important to you.

Are you a new assistant professor?

If you are new to the role of assistant professor or you are applying for these positions, check out the next in a series of videos on the critical mindset shifts you must make for success in your new role.

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