Broadening Participation in Computing

IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with many disciplinary backgrounds.

Have a specific question about one of our programs? Send us a message at participation@computer.org.

DONATE TO THE FUND

The IEEE Computer Society Board of Directors established the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2021. The committee’s goal is to advance and support initiatives and programs throughout the organization that broaden participation in computing. Learn more about the committee and its members.

Make a meaningful impact in expanding awareness throughout the computing community. The IEEE Computer Society invites proposals for projects, programs, and events that support this mission, offering funding between US$5,000 – US$15,000 for initiatives. Submissions are now closed; check back in the Fall for the next opportunity. For more information, please visit the frequently asked questions.

Back to Top

Submitter Name, Title, Affiliation, Email Address, and Country

IEEE Membership Number (the lead member of the proposal team should be an IEEE member)

Project/Activity/Event Title

Project/Activity/Event Description (limited to 50 words)

Project/Activity/Event IEEE Region (https://www.ieee.org/communities/regional-world-map.html)

Total funds requested (seeking proposals in the US $5,000-$15,000 range but larger projects/activities will also be considered)

Project/Activity/Event Budget Breakdown (identify major expenditures. Please note that funds cannot be used to pay individuals)

Plan for Fund Management – Please indicate whether funds will be managed by University, IEEE Section/Chapter or other. (limited to 100 words)

Key Objectives, Milestones, and Timeline (e.g., please indicate alignment with our mission to broaden participation in computing, comment on impact, consider the full life cycle and long-term sustainability if applicable) (limit to 250 words)

Expected results in 2-5 key measurements (identify top goals and how they will be measured) (limited to 100 words)

Lead Team Members with Short Biographies (limit to 5 individuals) (limit to 500 words)

Potential connection to existing CS programs and/or products (identify any existing programs with which this proposal is connected) (if applicable; limited to 50 words)

A final impact report and video will be expected from all funded projects and activities.

[ ] I acknowledge and agree to initiate discussions no later than three weeks after proposal award notification.
[ ] If agreements are not able to be established within three months, I acknowledge that the proposal may be withdrawn.
[ ] I acknowledge and agree to create a video and impact report.

Back to Top

• TechAble- Comprehensive digital skills training and mentorship program for 40 students with disabilities in Ghana
• Tech Horizons: Empowering Panama’s Youth with AI Skills – Offer AI skill-building workshops to underrepresented youth in Panama.
• Tech Hiring Pipeline Workshop – Workshop for minority students in the US to help them build resumes and prepare for tech job interviews.
• From Isolation to Innovation: Establishing a Computer Training Center to Empower Hinterland Communities – Establish a computer training center in an isolated Nigeria farming community and provide youth and adults with digital literacy skills.
• Tech Move! Bringing Technology to all Realities – Create a portable, mobile classroom that enables computer/digital literacy classes in rural, indigenous community in Brazil.
• Project ECO-BOT – Build/distribute robots in underserved rural areas of Tunisia, focusing on women and children, and providing access to innovative educational tools.

• Digital Literacy for Remote and Underprivileged Communities
• Go Windsor Project
• Tech for Tomorrow
• TechForAll Code Camp
• Women in STEM

Learn more about this year’s recipients and the mission of these projects.

Back to Top

• Inland Empire Data Science Workshops
• iBelong Workshops
• Raspberry Pi Coding Workshop
• “Teenage Women Facing Science and Engineering” Conference
• CodeWhisperer Training and Hackathon for ESL Developers
• IEEE Learn-Compute Camp
• iCARE Computer Science: iCS Program
• Girls & Computing Workshop

Learn more about these projects and the communities they impact.

Back to Top

• A Summer High School Internship for BIPOC Students
• Computer Literacy, Empowerment and Education Programs for Inclusion and Diversity
• The Atomic Habits for Inclusive Teaching Mentoring Circle
• You Belong in CS (UBCS)
• TinyML Outreach Workshop with the Navajo Nation

Back to Top

Want to broaden participation in the computing community? Consider submitting a proposal for projects, programs, and events to further this mission.

We are looking for new types of projects/activities/events not already covered by Computer Society units, such as:

• Outreach projects and other hands-on activities that broaden the reach of computing (such as events engaging broader demographics).
• Panel discussions or workshops that bring together diverse perspectives, advancing D&I education (such as bias mitigation, computing to advance social justice and equity).
• Reports, courses, briefings, training and other communications that summarize results and help to advance participation in computing.

Back to Top

No. Mechanisms already exist within the Computer Society to propose new conferences and publications.

For proposing new conferences, review the list of Computer Society Technical Communities (TCs), look for the one with the closest affinity to the proposal, and contact the TC Chair directly. They will walk you through the application process for new conferences.

For proposing new publications, contact the Computer Society Publications department at periodicals@computer.org.

Back to Top

Submit your proposal using the following link: https://ieee.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/1095/home

Back to Top

Decisions will be communicated by mid-November via email to the proposal submitter.

Back to Top

Proposals will be evaluated for innovation/creativity, impact on target audience, relevance to computing, and alignment with our mission.

Back to Top

Do you anticipate longer-term impact & do you see any potential follow-on? If yes, share how you envision the idea can be scaled and what resources may be required.

Back to Top

Please direct any questions to participation@computer.org.

Back to Top

We expect most proposals to be no less than US $5,000, up to a maximum of US $15,000. Larger proposals will be considered, but only one or two of these may be awarded.

Back to Top

Funds will be awarded upon completion of agreement documents. Funds must be used within the project timeline in the proposal.

All grant agreement information and materials must be submitted by the awardee within 30 days of receipt for the funding to be disbursed. Late materials or unresponsiveness may result in a retraction of the grant approval.

Back to Top

Indirect expenses related to facilities costs may be added to the budget. Compensation for individuals is not allowed.

Back to Top

A final impact report and video is expected from all funded projects and activities. More details about the deliverables will be communicated to selected proposals.

Back to Top

Proposals will be executed as Computer Society activities; therefore, any surplus will be part of the overall Computer Society budget.

Back to Top

Yes. Activities in which non-Computer Society members can participate may be good visibility for the Society and serve the larger community.

Back to Top

The project lead of the proposal team must be an IEEE Computer Society member.

Back to Top

Applications are welcome from all countries where funds can be legally sent from the United States of America. A list of the countries sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control can be found here.

Back to Top

The call for proposals is issued once a year. Out-of-cycle requests will be evaluated by the IEEE Computer Society Diversity & Inclusion Committee quarterly.

Back to Top

• Learn Best Practices for Publication Volunteers
• Learn Best Practices for Conference Organizers
• IEEE CS Assist Program

Back to Top

The Computer Society serves the global computing community by delivering programs that empower members to create new programs and activities.

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)

IEEE Women In Engineering (WIE) supports the inclusion of a diverse set of speakers which will lead to more creative, interesting and representative panels across the IEEE. IEEE WIE pledges to end same-sex panels at all IEEE meetings, conferences and events, including our own. Visit WIE.

ComputerScience.org

Currently, women only earn 18% of computer science bachelor’s degrees in the United States. In an effort to encourage women to participate in a male-dominated field, their team crafted a guide with resources to support their journey. It is their goal at ComputerScience.org to support young women as they begin their journey in the computer science field. Visit ComputerScience.org.

Women in CyberSecurity (WiCys)

We are pleased to announce that we have executed an agreement with the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) organization to cross-promote their annual conference with our Security & Privacy Symposium. WiCyS is making great strides for women and we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to partner with them. WiCyS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of women in cybersecurity. They bring together ~1,500 students, faculty, government, and industry practitioners at their annual conference. Visit WiCyS.

Want to Work Together?

We are always seeking new ways to broaden participation in the computing community. Contact us at participation@computer.org to share how we can support your efforts.

Back to Top

IEEE Computer Society broadens participation in computing through honest conversation around the challenges facing members of our community.

• Anaelia Ovalle
• Dr. Luca Trevisan
• Sukhdeep Singh
• Dr. Francisco Gomes de Oliveira Neto
• Dr. Amy J. Ko
• Dr. Yuhong Liu
• Dr. Hui Lei
• Dr. Jasmine Berry
• Dr. Emmanuel Johnson
• Sebastian Echeverria
• Juan Machado
• Dr. Brianna Posadas
• Nery Antonio Chapetón-Lamas
• Dr. Patricia Ordóñez Franco
• Dr. Dan Garcia
• Dr. Nelly Bencomo
• Dr. Manuel A. Pérez Quiñones
• Dr. Grace Lewis
• Dr. Christian Newman
• Dr. Alexander Serebrenik
• Ivan Zhao
• Griffin Solot-Kehl
• Dr. Didem Gurdur Broo
• Dr. Daniel Gillis
• Dr. John Samuel
• Dr. Alexander Gamero Garrido
• Dr. Bruno Lopes Vieira
• Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu
• Dr. Mandy Pant
• Jennifer Castillo
• Tiffani Williams
• Jyotika Athavale
• Dr. Juan Gilbert
• Dr. Leilani Battle
• Timothy M. Pinkston
• Dr. Laura Haas
• Dr. Barbara Liskov
• Kathy Land
• Elisa Bertino
• Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham
• Dr. Ayanna Howard
• Pierangela Samarati
• Dr. Maria Klawe
• Dr. Éva Tardos
• Dr. Valerie Taylor
• Trish Damkroger
• Dr. Jayathi Y. Murthy
• Dr. Cecilia Metra
  

 Are you interested in sharing your story? Submit your story or contact us here to coordinate an interview.

Back to Top