NSF: Broader Impacts

Integrating research and education is an important aspect of NSF's Broader Impacts review criterion. Research projects that have successfully demonstrated broader impacts have commonly developed strong collaborations and partnerships among researchers, educators and students; have proactively engaged target audiences; and have demonstrated impacts on these audiences. NSF Broader Impact criteria:

• What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
• How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning?
• How well does the proposed activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)?
• To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
• Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological understanding?
• What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?

Advice from NSF about Broader Impacts review criteria:

• Merit Review Broader Impacts Criterion: Representative Activities (pdf file)
• Office of Polar Programs (OPP) Advisory Committee - Working Group on Implementation of Review - Criterion 2

The College of Engineering has a wide variety of programs that can be accessed for writing a successful broader impact plan for your NSF fellowship proposal. Be sure to see: Opportunities in Broader Impacts from OSU Pre-College Programs. PCP Broader Impacts Portfolio 2009 (pdf file)

For further information, contact: