Planning: innovative grant network for institutional transformations and excellence (ignite)

The National Science Foundation's Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) awarded $164,592 to the Foundation for California Community Colleges on January 1, 2026, for a planning grant supporting the Innovative Grant Network for Institutional Transformations and Excellence (IGNITE) initiative. The project, to be completed by June 30, 2027, will develop foundational research and design solutions for the IGNITE Hub, a centralized, flexible research support model intended to enhance California's 116 community colleges' capacity to pursue research funding and reduce administrative barriers. The planning phase will conduct a statewide mixed-methods study of research readiness across the California Community College System, engage stakeholders to identify needs and service gaps, and establish design labs with up to six partnering colleges representing varying support capacities to test and refine potential solutions.

The deliverables from this planning grant will generate critical insights into how centralized research support services can operate effectively across independently governed institutions while maintaining operational flexibility. These findings will directly inform the development of a scalable centralized support model and will provide actionable guidance for community colleges seeking to establish shared infrastructure and increase institutional participation in the national research enterprise. This effort supports the NSF's mission to enhance national economic competitiveness, workforce development, and STEM innovation by lowering barriers for community colleges to engage in research activities.

Abstract

The innovative grant network for institutional transformations and excellence (ignite) planning project will explore an approach to expanding the capacity of community colleges to contribute to the national research enterprise. California?s 116 community colleges educate over 2.1 million students annually, serving as a major training pipeline for the U.S. Technical workforce. With this award, the awardee will plan a project that aims to build a centralized, flexible research support model, called the ignite hub, to help colleges pursue research funding, reduce administrative burden, and improve student opportunities to build skills needed for jobs in science, technology, and other skilled trades. This effort promotes national economic competitiveness, workforce development, and stem innovation by making IT easier for community colleges to engage in research. To lay the groundwork for the ignite hub, this planning grant will conduct a statewide study of research readiness across the cccs and engage stakeholders to identify common needs and service gaps. The project will use a mixed-methods approach to analyze research capacity. Design labs with up to six partnering colleges, with varying support needs and capacities, will test potential solutions and inform the development of a scalable centralized support model for shared research support. The project will generate new insights into how centralized services can operate effectively and efficiently across independently governed colleges while maintaining flexibility. Findings will be relevant to colleges seeking shared infrastructure and will inform how to increase community college participation in the national research enterprise. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.