SUPPORTING 2-YEAR COLLEGE FACULTY IN DEVELOPING, WRITING, AND SUBMITTING NSF PROPOSALS: A REPORT FROM THE DEVELOPING AND WRITING NSF PROPOSALS VIRTUAL WORKSHOP

Two-year colleges (2YCs), which enroll roughly 40% of undergraduates in the United States (AACC, 2022), are optimal sites for NSF-funded projects to improve STEM education and contribute to the recruitment and retention of a diverse STEM workforce. However, 2YC faculty experience a variety of significant challenges, many unique to 2YCs, related to preparing and submitting NSF grant proposals. With these challenges and opportunities in mind, a virtual workshop for 2YC faculty, Developing and Writing NSF Proposals, was convened for 32 2YC faculty in June (part 1) and July (part 2) 2024. The workshop aimed to build the capacity of 2YC geoscience faculty to develop, write, and submit NSF proposals by (1) introducing workshop participants to NSF grant opportunities that are particularly suitable for 2YCs as the lead institution; (2) supporting 2YC faculty in the proposal writing and submission process; (3) providing a space for 2YC faculty to build a community of peer collaborators for NSF proposals of various scales. Part 1 of the workshop focused on initial phases of the proposal development process, including background on NSF programs, a panel discussion with 2YC grant recipients, and an opportunity to identify potential project collaborators. Part 2 of the workshop took participants through the proposal development process, including time for writing, reflection, feedback, and discussion, with the goal of a completed draft of a grant application by workshop’s end. Some workshop components were novel, while other facets of the workshop were modeled after the 2021 virtual SAGE 2YC Writing Workshop and the 2023 virtual Inspiring Innovation: 2YC Faculty as Agents of Change Workshop. We will discuss several structural considerations that went into planning and implementing the workshop (including pre and post workshop activities, writing pods, and overall workshop organization); trends and lessons learned from workshop participant surveys, daily roadchecks, and workshop evaluations; and tangible and intangible outcomes of the workshop.