Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary

The MPS-Ascend External Mentoring (MPS-Ascend EM) program aims to fund an institution (or collaboration of institutions) to provide a mentored career development program specifically designed for two cohorts of MPS-Ascend Fellows funded through the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MPS-Ascend , and ) programs. These activities should be designed to build cohort experiences for MPS-Ascend Fellows funded through the MPS competitions, provide professional development opportunities, and provide appropriate mentoring and professional networks to allow the Fellows to transition into, advance, and succeed in independent academic (or other) research careers. Each proposal should address the complete spectrum of MPS-Ascend Fellows, across all MPS fields. Approximately 30-50 MPS-Ascend Fellows are expected per cohort.

The aforementioned MPS-Ascend program supports future research leaders in all MPS fields (Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences) by funding their participation in postdoctoral research environments that will have maximal impact on their future scientific development. This program has a strong emphasis on increasing the participation of members of those groups most underrepresented as leaders in MPS fields, which includes Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders. Details of the MPS-Ascend program can be found here: .

The successful proposal will describe plans to build and provide:

  • Mentoring and Professional Development: provide career mentoring aimed at building success at the postdoctoral level as Fellows prepare to transition to the next career stage. MPS anticipates that preparation for faculty careers will be a major focus of the program, although other career paths should also be addressed. Potential topics could include academic and other scientific career job search strategies; leadership; negotiation; communication skills; networking; grant proposal preparation (for NSF and other agencies, as appropriate); scientific publishing; laboratory management (where appropriate); budgeting; hiring; mentoring; surmounting challenges; managing career challenges and expectations; academic advancement; and balancing teaching, research, service, and life-work balance.
  • Cohort-building Activities: provide activities that encourage network building and mutual support among the MPS-Ascend Fellows at every stage of the program. Workshops and meetings, either in person or virtual, should be considered. A meeting at NSF for Fellows to present their work could be included among these activities or addressed separately in a future request.
  • National Network: build a national network of volunteer expert scientists in MPS fields that will be available to the Fellows for less formal mentoring. Informal mentors who are knowledgeable about the potential barriers for members of underrepresented groups including Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders in STEM fields would be especially welcome. Approaches that address intersectional perspectives; peer to peer mentoring within the cohorts; peer to near-peer mentoring between the two cohorts are all encouraged. Potential PIs are encouraged to consider mentoring and professional development models from other programs and agencies. Proposals must demonstrate how the program addresses the needs of disciplines served by MPS.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST January 5, 2022

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST February 25, 2022

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Project Description (3 pages maximum): Please include: 1) a comprehensive plan for career mentoring, cohort building, and professional development for the MPS-Ascend Fellows; 2) plans for creating a network of informal mentors (including scientists familiar with the challenges that can face underrepresented groups, especially Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders in STEM fields); and 3) a formative and summative assessment plan and mechanisms to address any needed changes should be included.
  • PI Curriculum Vitae
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

A proposer may participate as a PI, co-PI, or Senior Personnel on one proposal. If a proposer submits more proposals as PI/co-PI/Senior Personnel than this solicitation allows, only the earliest compliant proposal(s) will be retained and any subsequent proposals will be returned without review.

Limited Submission Guidelines

An organization may participate in up to two proposals as the lead or as a non-lead collaborating organization or as a sub awardee, but only in at most one of these can an organization participate as the lead organization. If an organization submits or participates in more proposals than this solicitation allows, only the earliest compliant proposal(s) will be retained and any subsequent proposals will be returned without review.

Award Information

Award Amount: $900,000

Expected Number of Awards: 1

Award Duration: 3 years

Review Criteria

In addition to the standard criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts, the Ascend-EM proposals will be evaluated on the following:

  • Are the planned activities appropriate, with value across MPS fields?
  • Are the plans to provide professional development activities appropriate and well considered? Do they have the potential to prepare MPS-Ascend Fellows for leadership roles in their fields? Are differences in scientific approaches (large collaborations, table-top science, interdisciplinary, theory, etc.) addressed satisfactorily?
  • Are the plans for building a cohort experience across the Fellows well thought out?
  • Are the plans for career mentoring well thought out?
  • Is there a plan for creating a network of informal mentors (including scientists familiar with the challenges that can face members of underrepresented groups, especially Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, and Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders in STEM fields)? Is the plan likely to succeed?
  • Is the project assessment plan and mechanisms to address any needed changes adequate?