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Sherita Moses-Whitlow 07/09/09

• This research is based on the study of six grants, and therefore is by no means a statistical representation of complete data.

• Definition of Broader Impacts (BI)
• Relation of BI to the Mission of the National
Science Foundation
• Categories of Broader Impacts
• Examples of Broader Impacts
• Specific Considerations for Funding
• Purpose of Project
• Comparison/Contrast of Awarded Proposals and
Declined Proposals
– Analysis
• Conclusion

Definition of Broader Impacts
• According to James L. Ritchie-Dunham, Chief
Strategist at the Institute for Strategic Clarity and
Associate in the Psychology Department at
Harvard University, Broader Impacts are a demonstration of:
– (1) the strategic probabilities in the seemingly impossible in societal collaboration ;
– (2) the ability to hear and act with the voice of a broad, vulnerable collective, in deep conflict with its stakeholders ;
– (3) the capacity of local leaders to lead these processes; and
– (4) the integration of efforts across global action networks
Ritchie-Dunham, James L. (2001). Managing from Clarity: Identifying, Aligning, and
Leveraging Strategic Resources . Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-49731-2

Broader Impacts Relate to the Mission of NSF
The purposes of Broader Impacts as they relate to the mission of the National Science
Foundation are
• To promote the progress of science
• To advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare
• To secure the national defense
(NSF Act of 1950)

Categories of Broader Impacts (5)
I. Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning
II. Broaden participation of underrepresented groups
III. Enhance infrastructure for research and education
IV. Broaden dissemination to enhance scientific and technological understanding
V. Show benefits to society

Examples
I. Advance discovery and understanding
– Training graduate students
– Mentoring postdoctoral researchers & jr. faculty
– Involving undergrads in research
– Participating in recruitment, training, and professional development of K-12 mathematics and science teachers
– Presentations to local high school to foster interest in STEM fields

Examples
II. Participation of underrepresented groups
– Establishing collaborations with students and faculty from institutions and organizations serving women, minorities, disabled, and other groups in stem fields
• National Organization for Women (Education & Title IX,
Women in Science, etc.)
• HBCUs
• http://www.access-board.gov/links/disability.htm

Examples
III. Enhance infrastructure for research & education
– Establishing collaborations with researchers in industry and government laboratories
– Developing partnerships with international academic institutions and organizations
– Building networks of US colleges and universities

Examples
IV. Broaden dissemination enhancing scientific and technological understanding
– By presenting results of research and education projects in formats useful to students, scientists and engineers, members of congress, teachers, and the general public

Examples
V. Benefits to society
– When results of research are applied to other fields of science and technology
• To create start up companies
• To improve commercial technology
• To inform public policy
• To enhance national security

Specific Considerations for Funding
There are two areas the NSF gives special consideration when considering funding decisions
( www.nsf.gov
):
II. Participation of underrepresented groups
– Integrating Diversity
• Enabling participation of
ALL citizens is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering
• NSF deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports
III. Enhance infrastructure for research & education
• Integrating Research
– Foster integration through the programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions
– Provide opportunities for responsibilities as researchers, educators, students

According to the National Science Foundation, while most researchers understand Intellectual
Merit, experience shows that many researchers have a less than clear understanding of the meaning of Broader Impacts
As we analyze the Broader Impacts of successful and unsuccessful grants, we will determine how thorough each proposer meets the criteria specified, thereby revealing the importance of this requirement in research proposals

To maintain anonymity, some information has been scrubbed
ACCEPTED (1) (2) (3)
DENIED (4) (5) (6)

Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning
•Provide new insight…
•Provide dataset used to interpret data from next generation of operational interpretation and operational strategies
(proposal 1)
•Integrate student support and placement
•Increase faculty involvement in mentoring students
(proposal 2)
•Multi-disciplinary research effort…
(proposal 3)

Participation of underrepresented groups
(proposal 1)
•The investigators, all women, will make diversity integral to this project by recruiting minorities from Oakwood College and other institutions
(proposal 2)
•(proposal 3)

Enhance infrastructure for research and education
•Involving students from universities with…
…departments will contribute substantially to both undergraduate and graduate education
•recruitment of new scientists to… (P1)
•Increase student retention in STEM fields
•Increase faculty involvement in mentoring students
(proposal 2)
•Student groups are currently performing related research in the areas of…
(proposal 3)

Broaden dissemination enhancing scientific and technological understanding
•Provide new insight concerning…
•Provide dataset used to interpret data from next generation
•of operational interpretation and operational strategies
(proposal 1)
•Integrate student support and placement
•Increase faculty involvement in mentoring students
(proposal 2)
•Multi-disciplinary research effort…
(proposal 3)

Benefits to Society
•Decrease deaths, injuries and accidents annually
Due to…
(proposal 1)
•Increase depth and diversity of the …
(proposal 2)
•Application areas are broad and of particular interest to local and regional customers
(proposal 3)

Advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning
• Extensive website and… for use in the classroom
(proposal 4)
(proposal 5)
• Incorporation of graduate students in STEM into high school classrooms
(proposal 6)

(proposal 4)
(proposal 5)
(proposal 6)
Participation of underrepresented groups

Enhance infrastructure for research and education
•
Educational benefits will be realized through enhancements to undergraduate and graduate level courses at UAH
(proposal 4)
(proposal 5)
• Investigators expect that there will be increased dialogue between the colleges of… and local K12 school systems
(proposal 6)

Broaden dissemination enhancing scientific and technological understanding
• Test and improve new …, and enhance interpretation of new measurements through improved products derived from the … (proposal 4)
(proposal 5)
(proposal 6)

Benefits to Society
• Introduction of new technology into the operational sector, and utilization of this instrumentation by the operational community will improve … (proposal 4)
(proposal 5)
• Incorporation of graduate students in STEM into high school classrooms
•
Improvement in science education and perception of science as a career (proposal 6)

• Successful
– Proposals 1 and 3 did not meet requirement for criterion 2, but they did meet the other 4 criteria
• Unsuccessful
– Proposal 4 did not meet the requirement for criterion 2
– Proposal 6 did not meet the requirement for criteria 2 or 4
– Proposal 5 did not meet any of the requirements for the criteria of Broader Impacts

• I feel that three successful and three unsuccessful analyses were insufficient to determine the influence of Broader Impacts on funded proposals
• However, of the grants analyzed, it was clear that the Broader Impacts of the successful grants were more developed, inclusive and thorough
• Therefore, take care to address each criterion listed for a better chance at being awarded