NSF 25-505: Build and Broaden: Enhancing Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research and Capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions (B2), Request for Proposal, Due: Jan 23, 2025

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NSF 25-505: Build and Broaden: Enhancing Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research and Capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions (B2)

• Date Posted: Oct 24, 2025
• Deadline: January 23, 2025
• Funding Institution(s): U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF); Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities
• Brief Description:
  The NSF Build and Broaden (B2) program supports fundamental research and capacity building in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). It aims to advance research collaborations, increase proposal submissions, and build sustainable partnerships with MSIs to address critical societal challenges and expand participation in STEM research. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary projects, capacity building, and innovative approaches to broaden diversity in research and STEM education. Proposals may address any NSF-supported area within the SBE sciences, with an emphasis on fostering MSI participation.
• Link: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/b2-build-broaden-enhancing-social-behavioral-economic-science/nsf25-505/solicitation?WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

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Assessment of Strategic Fit with NumFOCUS Projects

The NSF 25-505: Build and Broaden (B2) funding opportunity could offer strategic alignment for NumFOCUS projects by leveraging its mission to advance research capacity and participation in STEM through partnerships with Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). Below is an analysis of the fit:

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Relevance to NumFOCUS Mission

1. Promoting Research and Open Source Collaboration

   • NumFOCUS projects such as econ-ARK, pandas, scikit-learn, and PyMC support rigorous computational and data-driven research, which aligns with the NSF B2 goal of fostering research across the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences.
   • Collaboration with MSIs could amplify the adoption and development of these tools in underrepresented academic and research communities.

2. Diversity and Inclusion in STEM

   • The program prioritizes broadening participation in STEM, particularly through partnerships with underrepresented groups. This resonates with NumFOCUS’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the open-source community.

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Opportunities for Strategic Alignment

1. Capacity Building at MSIs

   • Proposals can offer training on its supported tools to MSI researchers and students, enhancing their capacity to conduct computational research in the SBE sciences.

2. Cross-Disciplinary Applications

   • NumFOCUS tools can support interdisciplinary research areas listed under the solicitation, including economics, public policy, decision science, and cognitive neuroscience.

3. Developing and Strengthening Partnerships

   • Collaborations with MSIs and other institutions can expand the reach and impact of NumFOCUS projects, while also creating opportunities to diversify contributors and end-users of its tools.

4. Research Areas

   • SBE topics such as decision science, organizational behavior, and public policy can leverage NumFOCUS-supported computational tools for modeling, data analysis, and reproducibility.

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Funding Potential

• Grant Size and Scope:

  • The program offers up to $8,000,000 in total funding, with approximately 25-30 awards.
  • Proposals can focus on capacity-building projects, fundamental research, and cross-institutional collaborations. NumFOCUS can develop initiatives combining training, tool development, and direct support for MSI researchers.

• Additional Opportunities:

  • EAGER (Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research) or Research Coordination Network (RCN) proposals could align with NumFOCUS’s goals by promoting innovative or high-risk projects.

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Potential Challenges

1. Eligibility Requirements

   • As NumFOCUS is not an academic institution, direct proposal submission may require partnerships with eligible MSIs or researchers at these institutions.
   • More than 50% of project funding must be allocated to MSIs in collaborative proposals.

2. Specificity to SBE Sciences

   • Proposals must explicitly focus on advancing research in the SBE sciences. NumFOCUS tools need to be framed as essential to addressing specific SBE research questions.

3. Demonstrating Broader Impacts

   • Proposals must show measurable outcomes in diversifying STEM participation and enhancing research capacity at MSIs.

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Recommendations

1. Identify MSI Collaborators

   • Partner with MSI researchers or institutions to co-develop proposals that align NumFOCUS tools with SBE research needs.

2. Targeted Training and Outreach

   • Propose workshops, hackathons, or mentorship programs that train MSI students and researchers in using NumFOCUS-supported tools.

3. Leverage Existing Research Areas

   • Focus on applications of NumFOCUS tools in decision-making, data-driven policy analysis, or behavioral research to meet program priorities.

4. Maximize Broader Impacts

   • Develop outreach initiatives that enhance STEM access and participation for underrepresented groups, with clear metrics for success.

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Conclusion

This opportunity aligns strongly with NumFOCUS’s mission to promote open-source tools and broaden STEM participation. By collaborating with MSIs and emphasizing the societal impact of its tools, NumFOCUS can effectively leverage this funding to expand its reach and support impactful research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences.