October 9, 2024 | Lemont, IL – On September 18, 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $5,657,363 grant to the LEAP Alliance as part of a broader $48 million NSF initiative supporting Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Alliances. This investment in NSF leadership initiatives reinforces the agency’s commitment to increasing diversity in academic leadership within computer and information sciences.
NSF LEAP Alliance: Expanding Inclusive Computing Leadership
The LEAP Alliance—officially titled the NSF BPC Alliance for Diversifying Leadership in the Professoriate—was launched in 2021 and is co-led by:
Dr. Valerie Taylor, CEO and President of CMD-IT
Dr. Charles Isbell, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Together, they lead a growing network of 30 academic institutions dedicated to increasing the representation of underrepresented groups among computing faculty at research universities.
Goals of the NSF Leadership Investment in LEAP
This five-year extension grant allows the LEAP Alliance to:
Enhance recruitment and retention strategies for underrepresented doctoral students
Expand the Affiliates Program to include more institutions nationwide
Provide sustained faculty development support and pathways to academic leadership
Share best practices and research-backed approaches to equitable academic advancement
Dr. Valerie Taylor shared,
“By continuing to recruit, retain, and develop effective strategies for increasing the diversity of the computing faculty, NSF LEAP is contributing to a broader, more inclusive academic landscape.”
Focus Communities for NSF-Funded Diversity in Computing
The LEAP Alliance specifically targets four communities historically underrepresented in computing academia:
African Americans / Black (U.S. domestic students)
Hispanic / Latinx (U.S. domestic students)
Native American / Indigenous (U.S. domestic students)
People with Disabilities
By focusing on the doctoral pipeline, the LEAP Alliance is developing systemic solutions that contribute to long-term shifts in leadership demographics across computing disciplines.
Learn More About NSF LEAP Leadership Initiatives
To learn more about the impact and opportunities created by this NSF leadership funding, visit the official program page: LEAP Alliance – CMD-IT
About the LEAP Alliance
The NSF LEAP Alliance (Diversifying Leadership in the Professoriate) is a BPC initiative designed to address the critical challenge of increasing the diversity of computing faculty at research universities. Launched in 2021, the Alliance includes 30 institutions and supports innovation in recruitment, retention, and faculty development practices.
About the National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that funds groundbreaking research and education across the non-medical sciences. Through initiatives like the BPC Alliances, the NSF fosters national health, prosperity, and technological leadership.
Media Contact:
Kristin Wert
Marketing Manager, CMD-IT
kristinwert@cmd-it.org