Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry | 21 620

Opportunity Information: Apply for 21 620

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry (PREC) program is a discretionary grant opportunity run through NSF's Division of Chemistry (CHE) that is designed to grow durable, high-impact partnerships between minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and major CHE-supported research and cyberinfrastructure efforts. Specifically, the program supports collaborations between MSIs and one or more of the following: CHE-supported Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCIs), NSF's ChemMatCARS, the Molecular Sciences Software Institute (MolSSI), or the Molecule Maker Lab Institute (MMLI). The central goal is to improve what the solicitation calls the "PREC pathway," meaning the recruitment, retention, and degree attainment of people from groups that are most underrepresented in chemistry research. At the same time, PREC emphasizes doing this through strong research and education projects that meaningfully strengthen the partnership itself, rather than treating participation goals as separate from the scientific work.

PREC is structured around two tracks that differ mainly in scope, scale, and the maturity of the partnership activities. Track 1 is intended for smaller, focused collaborations that help establish a new partnership or strengthen an early-stage one. These projects typically aim to build momentum: creating initial research and educational connections, launching shared mentoring or training activities, and putting in place the kinds of collaborative practices that make it easier for MSI students and faculty to engage with larger CHE-supported centers and institutes. In other words, Track 1 is a catalyst for getting the PREC pathway functioning effectively through targeted, manageable efforts.

Track 2 supports more ambitious work that both improves and expands the PREC pathway while also building larger collaborations and research capacity at the MSI. Compared with Track 1, Track 2 is geared toward deeper integration of research and education, with the expectation that the partnership will produce broader, more sustained impacts. This can include expanding the scale of joint research, strengthening institutional capabilities and infrastructure for research and training, and embedding education and workforce development components that increase participation and persistence in chemistry research. Track 2 is essentially for partnerships that are ready to move beyond initial collaboration into a bigger, more coordinated program that grows MSI research capacity while advancing excellent chemistry research.

From the provided source details, the opportunity is identified as "Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry" (Funding Opportunity Number 21-620) and is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 47.049). It is offered as a grant funding instrument by NSF. The opportunity was created on September 15, 2021, with an original closing date of January 21, 2022. NSF anticipated making about four awards, with an award ceiling of $600,000. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional eligibility rules referenced in the solicitation's eligibility section, which typically clarifies which institutions qualify as MSIs and how partnering organizations should participate.

Taken together, PREC is best understood as an NSF chemistry program that uses partnership-based research and education projects to widen participation in chemistry research while also strengthening MSI-centered research ecosystems. The two-track design allows teams to enter at an appropriate level, either by building an initial collaborative foundation (Track 1) or by scaling up into a larger capacity-building, research-and-education-integrated effort (Track 2).

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnerships for Research and Education in Chemistry" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 15, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 21, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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