LEMONT, Ill., Oct. 10, 2024 - On September 18, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $5,657,363 to LEAP Alliance as part of a larger $48 million initiative to the NSF Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances. This funding supports the ongoing efforts of the NSF BPC Alliance Diversifying Leadership in the Professoriate (LEAP Alliance), which aims to increase diversity in computing leadership at research universities by addressing the unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups in computer and information science.
Launched in 2021, the NSF LEAP Alliance, led by Valerie Taylor, CEO and President CMD-IT, and Charles Isbell, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin Madison, is a collaborative network of 30 institutions dedicated to improving diversity among computing faculty by increasing diversity of the doctoral graduate, thus fostering more inclusive, innovative, and impactful computing communities nationwide.
"By continuing to recruit, retain, and develop effective strategies for increasing the diversity of the computing faculty, NSF LEAP is contributing to a broader, more inclusive academic landscape," said Dr. Valerie Taylor, CEO and President CMD-IT. This five-year extension grant will allow the NSF LEAP Alliance to refine successful programs in recruitment, retention, and professional development while expanding its reach through the Affiliates Program. By doing so, the Alliance seeks to ensure that underrepresented groups have increased opportunities for leadership roles in computing departments at research universities across the United States.
The LEAP Alliance is focused on four communities that are historically underrepresented in computing: African Americans/Blacks (domestic students), Hispanics/Latinx (domestic students), Native Americans/Indigenous (domestic students), and People with Disabilities.
For more information about NSF LEAP and its initiatives, please visit LEAP Alliance - CMD-IT
Media Contact:
Kristin Wert
Marketing Manager
kristinwert@cmd-it.org
About NSF LEAP:
The NSF BPC Alliance Diversifying Leadership in the Professoriate (LEAP) was launched in 2021 and consists of 30 unique institutions led by the University of Chicago. LEAP addresses the critical challenge of increasing the diversity of computing faculty at research universities to increase diversity across the field.
About the National Science Foundation:
The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. The NSF funds projects that promote the progress of science and advance national health, prosperity, and welfare.
SOURCE CMD-IT
