National Science Foundation Initiates Groundbreaking Programs To Combat Racism And Enhance Diversity In STEM Fields

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently funding several programs to address racism in environmental and civil engineering to make the field more diverse.

According to the Daily Caller, the NSF also aims to train engineers representing Black and Latinx communities.

The grants are part of a broader effort by the NSF to push racial equity in STEM.

In 2021, nearly a quarter (24%) of the US workforce was employed in STEM. However, Hispanic workers represented 15%, and Black workers only represented 9%.

NSF’s funds aim to change that as they are committed to expanding the opportunities in STEM to people of groups.

They currently work to ensure the nation leads the world in research and innovation to benefit all without barriers to participation.

NSF Programs Available

The agency invests across four strategic goals: improving accessibility and enhancing demographic, geographic, and institutional diversity.

One of NSF’s funding opportunities is the HBCU Excellence In Research Fund, which supports research at public and private HBCUs.

One grant worth $1.5 million was distributed to the University of South Florida in July 2022, seeking to challenge anti-black racism in civil and environmental engineering.

They developed a suite of integrated, interdisciplinary, community-engaged, anti-black racism training opportunities for civil and environmental engineering undergraduates.

They also awarded a grant to Tufts University in Massachusetts in 2023, focusing on producing engineers that reflect the Black and Latinx communities.

This grant is funded through the NSF’s Racial Equity in STEM Education program, which is aimed at promoting DEI in the academic sciences.

Other racial equity grants funded by the NSF this year went towards diversifying chemistry research and developing a program that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion.