BPC-AE: Computing Research Pathways at Scale (CRA-WP)

The Computing Research Association’s Committee on Widening Participation in Computing Research (CRA-WP) will extend its CRA-WP BPC Alliance. This Alliance aims to maintain our nation’s position as a global frontrunner in technical innovation, research, and discovery by addressing the critical need for expanding the computing workforce. This project is designed to tap into the vast, underutilized talent pool within underrepresented demographics, thereby expanding the nation’s talent base and fostering innovation through diverse perspectives.

By scaling existing successful mentoring programs, CRA-WP intends to increase interest and participation in computing research among undergraduate, graduate students, and early and mid-career researchers and professors from diverse backgrounds. The project’s significance lies in its potential to enhance the quality and inclusiveness of computing research, ultimately promoting the progress of science and engineering.

The project will focus on three main goals. First, we will scale the new (and already successful) UR2PhD program nationwide along with a re-envisioned Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program, focusing on students early in their computing careers (years 1 and 2), including students at minority-serving institutions and community college students.

Second, we will scale the reach and impact of our successful long-running Grad Cohorts program by providing online minicourses that Departments can offer to their students. Third, we will provide several programs that focus on training the trainer, thus expanding the reach of our efforts beyond prior efforts and fostering systematic changes within departments.

The project’s scope involves nationwide implementation, targeting over 1,600 students and professionals, and collaboration with other national BPC Alliances to maximize reach and impact. By employing rigorous evaluation methods, including formative assessment and pre-test/post-test frameworks, the project seeks to validate and refine best practices in mentoring, ultimately contributing to the advancement of diversity and inclusivity in computing research.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.