A White House Press Release, and a new NSF Web page, highlight "NSF's efforts to clear the obstacles," such as marriage and childbirth, " from the STEM Career-Life pathways leading from graduate education to full professors." These efforts include foundation wide policies and procedures designed to provide more flexible pathways for STEM moms in academic careers, as well as several opportunities/solicitations for which women are especially encouraged to apply, including:
- The Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers (ADVANCE) Program that funds systematic approaches to increase the number of women already in the STEM PhD pipeline to continue into STEM careers. Proposals due November 2011. ADVANCE award categories of potential UM interest:
- Institutional Transformation (IT). Use proven (i.e., research justified) strategies to implement local action to improve institutional culture and outcomes with regard to career advancement of women in all STEM fields
- Partnerships for Adaptation, Implementation, and Dissemination (PAID). Similar to IT but more flexible, in that:
- can focus on a sub-group of STEM disciplines
- can focus on dissemination or discovery (research) of information
- The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program (women and faculty from other under-represented STEM groups especially encouraged). Proposals due July 2012.
- The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) (women and students from other under-represented STEM groups especially encouraged). Proposals due November 2011.
There are no institutional submissions limit for the ADVANCE or CAREER solicitations; GRFP proposals should be submitted by prospective fellows (not the institution).
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