Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems awarded $5.0M to the Computing Research Association Inc. on April 15, 2026, to implement the Expanding Undergraduate Research Experiences in Computing initiative. This pilot program centralizes recruitment, selection, and administrative management of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) opportunities for domestic students across NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) funded projects. Key deliverables include streamlined stipend distribution mechanisms, optional evidence-based mentoring training modules for both undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors, and optional student-mentor matching services designed to enhance research experience quality while reducing administrative burden on principal investigators.

The project delivers a coordinated evaluation framework through CRA's Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) to generate comparative longitudinal data on student development and persistence in computing research pathways. By leveraging existing peer-reviewed NSF CISE awards, the initiative expands research opportunities aligned with NSF priorities, increases institutional capacity for hosting undergraduate researchers, and strengthens the pipeline of domestic students transitioning to graduate studies in computing. The award period extends through March 31, 2027, and operates under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering federal grant program (CFDA 47.070).