Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education

The Workplace Equity for Persons with Disabilities in STEM and STEM Education solicitation, which is managed by the Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM in the Directorate for STEM Education, supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances knowledge and practice about diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM and STEM education workplaces and postsecondary training environments for persons with disabilities. Proposals should focus on one or more of the following three research themes: (1) Studying barriers and solutions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in STEM and STEM education workplaces and training settings for persons with disabilities; (2) Applying intersectional social identity perspectives to investigate characteristics and conditions of STEM and STEM education workplaces and training environments that limit and/or improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for persons with disabilities; and (3) Conducting use-inspired and solution-oriented translational research about diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM and STEM Education workplaces and training settings for persons with disabilities. 

Research proposals must address key project design components: (1) The inclusion of researchers, experts, and organizations with authentic disability experiences; (2) The identification of disability type(s) to be investigated; (3) The specific STEM and/or STEM education workplaces and postsecondary training settings to be studied; (4) The use of theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks and robust research hypotheses, questions, designs, methodologies, data analyses, and data interpretation; (5) A plan to assess the success of the project; and (6) A plan for the accessible dissemination of knowledge and practice outcomes to traditional and new audiences.

The amount of funding and duration requested in the Research proposals submitted in response to this solicitation should align with the maturity of the proposed work and the size and scope of the project activities. Research proposals may request a budget up to $1,500,000 and a duration up to five (5) years. All proposals should justify the requested level of funding and duration in the project description. This solicitation also invites Synthesis projects, which are a very specific type of Research proposal. Synthesis projects may propose budgets up to $600,000 and project durations up to three (3) years. This solicitation also invites proposals for Conferences, EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), and Rapid Response Research (RAPID). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) are always welcome. The solicitation’s Section II, Program Description, provides additional information about each type of proposal.