The National Science Foundation considers two criteria in their review of proposals: intellectual merit and broader impacts (BI). Broader impacts relate to how the proposed research will “benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes” and is increasingly used as the differentiator between which excellent proposals to fund or not.
The Training Team from the NSF-supported Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) organization will conduct five interactive virtual workshops on Friday, Feb. 3, 17 and Friday, March 3, 17, and 31 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Session 2: BI Evaluation/Broadening Participation
Friday, Feb. 17 @ 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
One way to address the NSF’s broader impacts requirement is through activities that focus on what the NSF refers to as broadening participation, or “expanding efforts to increase participation from underrepresented groups and diverse institutions throughout the United States.” This session will explore broadening participation activities, why they are a priority for the NSF, and how to plan, implement and assess them successfully. Several specific examples will be presented and discussed.