Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: October 28, 2025 (Network Connectors, DD Launch Pilots, Consortia, Alliances, Conferences) | Rolling (Conferences; proposals received after the annual May target may be reviewed in the next fiscal year)
Funding Amounts: $5,500,000 total per year across all project types; typical awards: up to $300,000/year (Launch Pilots, 2 yrs), $1M/year (Consortia, 5 yrs), $2M/year (Alliances, 5 yrs), $250,000/year (Network Connectors, 2 yrs), $100,000 (Conferences, 1 yr)
Summary: Supports collaborative projects to broaden participation and inclusivity in STEM through systemic change and networked partnerships at local, regional, and national scales.
Key Information: Applicants may serve as lead on only one proposal per project type (except conferences); prior INCLUDES funding is not required.
Description
The NSF INCLUDES Initiative is a comprehensive national effort to enhance U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in STEM fields. The program aims to catalyze collaborative infrastructure and systemic change to broaden participation in STEM, with a vision of a workforce reflecting the nation's diversity. Projects must address broadening participation challenges and operationalize five design elements: shared vision, partnerships, goals and metrics, leadership and communication, and expansion, sustainability, and scale.
This solicitation supports five types of projects:
- Design and Development Launch Pilots: Test new collaborative strategies for broadening participation.
- Collaborative Change Consortia: Implement and scale systemic strategies at city, state, or regional levels.
- Alliances: National-scale networks addressing critical participation challenges, supported by a backbone organization.
- Network Connectors: Link existing projects or partnerships to the INCLUDES National Network.
- Conferences: Foster new collaborations or idea exchange to strengthen the network.
All projects must contribute to the INCLUDES National Network and address equity, inclusion, and access in STEM.
Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline: October 28, 2025 (for Network Connectors, Design and Development Launch Pilots, Collaborative Change Consortia, Alliances, and Conferences)
- Conferences: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis; those received after the second Tuesday in May may be reviewed the following fiscal year.
Funding Amount
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $5,500,000 per competition year for all project types combined.
- Expected Number of Awards: 10–15 annually.
- Typical Award Sizes:
- Design & Development Launch Pilots: Up to $300,000/year for up to 2 years.
- Collaborative Change Consortia: Up to $1,000,000/year for up to 5 years.
- Alliances: Up to $2,000,000/year for up to 5 years.
- Network Connectors: Up to $250,000/year for up to 2 years (requests above this may be considered with justification).
- Conferences: Up to $100,000 for up to 1 year.
No cost sharing or matching is required.
Eligibility
- Who May Apply:
- U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses) with strong STEM research/education capacity.
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations (e.g., museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies) located in the U.S.
- State and local governments.
- Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education (2- and 4-year, including community colleges).
- Federally recognized Tribal Nations.
- PI/Co-PI Restrictions: An individual may serve as PI or Co-PI on only one INCLUDES proposal per annual due date (excluding conferences).
- Organizational Restrictions: An organization may serve as lead on only one proposal per project type (excluding conferences).
- Prior INCLUDES Funding: Not required.
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Letters of Intent: Not required.
- Recommended: Submit a one-page proposal idea to nsfincludes@nsf.gov at least two months before the deadline for feedback on alignment.
- Proposal Preparation: Follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and solicitation-specific requirements.
- Required Supplementary Documents: List of personnel and organizations, letters of support/collaboration as specified by project type.
- Review Criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, plus additional criteria specific to collaborative infrastructure and contributions to the National Network.
Additional Information
- Project Types: Applicants may only lead one proposal per project type (except for conferences).
- Conference Proposals: Accepted any time; review may be delayed if submitted after the annual May target date.
- Reporting: Annual and final reports required; projects must participate in INCLUDES network evaluation and data sharing.
- Special Conditions: Alliances are awarded as cooperative agreements and require a strategic plan within 90 days of award.
External Links
Contact Information