EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education | 23 617

Opportunity Information: Apply for 23 617

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) created the EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education (EMBRACE) program to strengthen geoscience research and education at institutions that are not classified as R1 research universities. The program is explicitly aimed at campuses where faculty often face structural disadvantages in competing for federal research funding, such as heavy teaching responsibilities, extensive advising and mentoring expectations, limited start-up resources, and fewer institutional supports like dedicated grant staff, research administration capacity, or specialized facilities. In practice, EMBRACE is designed to help level the playing field so that strong geoscience ideas and educators at non-R1 institutions can more readily launch, sustain, and expand credible research and education efforts.

Eligible settings highlighted in the opportunity include non-R1 minority serving institutions (MSIs), two-year colleges (2YCs), primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), and emerging research institutions and masters-level institutions, with references to standard classification systems such as Carnegie Classification and IPEDS for defining institutional categories. The focus is on GEO-related disciplines and adjacent fields, meaning projects should align with the mission space of NSF GEO while also recognizing that impactful geoscience work can be interdisciplinary and partnership-driven, especially in environments where research infrastructure is still developing.

EMBRACE funds two main proposal types, each aligned to a different stage of program-building. The Seed track supports shorter, early-stage efforts, with awards lasting up to two years. Seed funding is intended for faculty at non-R1 institutions who want to begin or restart a research and/or education program at their home institution, and it also supports the formation or acceleration of collaborations. These partnerships can be internal (across departments on the same campus), among peer institutions, with research-intensive universities, or with non-academic partners such as industry or other organizations. The emphasis is on catalyzing activity that might otherwise be difficult to initiate under high teaching loads or limited institutional support.

The Growth track supports a longer runway, with awards lasting up to four years, and is oriented toward helping faculty at non-R1 institutions establish independent, disciplinary geoscience research programs. This track is geared toward building sustained research momentum and credibility, allowing investigators to develop a more stable program of scholarship that can produce publishable results, train students, and potentially position the investigator for future competitive funding. In other words, where Seed is about initiating and connecting, Growth is about establishing durable independence and capacity.

Across both categories, EMBRACE funds can be used not only for direct research activities but also for common capacity-building needs that are especially relevant at non-R1 institutions. Allowable support includes funding for undergraduate and/or graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and investigator salary support such as summer salary, course buyouts, or sabbaticals, along with other research-related expenses. This structure reflects the program’s underlying rationale: reducing practical barriers that prevent faculty from carving out time and resources for research while maintaining substantial teaching and mentoring responsibilities.

From the source details provided, the opportunity is a discretionary NSF grant under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, with CFDA number 47.050. The opportunity number is 23-617, it was created on August 22, 2023, and listed an original closing date of November 20, 2023. The notice indicates an expectation of about 25 awards, and the award ceiling is listed as 0, which typically signals that the maximum award amount is not specified in that summary field and would need to be confirmed in the full solicitation text or program guidance.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 22, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 20, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 23 617

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