The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The grant program supports projects that aim to improve STEM education at HBCUs through several tracks: Targeted Infusion Projects (TIP) for short-term goals improving undergraduate STEM education; Research on Broadening Participation in STEM (BPR) projects, focusing on innovative models for the success of underrepresented groups; Research Initiation Awards (RIA) for STEM faculty without recent research funding; Implementation Projects (IMP) for comprehensive institutional efforts to increase STEM graduates; and Broadening Participation Research Centers (BPRC) for creating centers that conduct significant research on STEM education and broadening participation. It also offers funding for early-concept exploratory research, rapid response research, and planning grants.