Creating a Meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan

A meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan may be used when each PI will engage in an activity listed in a verified Departmental BPC Plan from their institution. The document is organized as outlined in the Checklist for a Meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan.

 

Page sections:

Checklist for a Meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan

For a Connected Project BPC Plan, each PI needs to have a verified Departmental BPC Plan. The PIs select and describe their involvement in an activity from their institution’s verified Departmental BPC Plan.

This page provides a Connected Project BPC Plan template (and details on the document’s structure), further details on each of the five elements above, and an example of a Meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan.

Template:

BPCnet has provided a template for you to create your own Connected Project BPC Plan. Download the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan – Connected template.

Document Structure:

Different solicitations have different page requirements for Connected Project BPC Plans. In common, all solicitations that support Connected Project BPC Plans require:

  • One or more pages (number varies by solicitation. See below for details) identifying which activity from their institutions’ Verified Departmental BPC Plan each PI is engaged in and the PI’s role in that activity.
    • Each activity has its own section with a brief descriptive title.
  • 2 pages per institution: A copy of the full Verified Departmental BPC Plan
    • See the Departmental BPC Plan page for details on Departmental BPC Plans.
    • The Verified Departmental BPC Plan should be exactly the same as the document verified by BPCnet, in the same format with no edits or markup.
  • Follows the NSF’s current guidelines on formatting in the Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

The organization and page count varies by solicitation:

  • Core (as of the solicitation NSF 23-561 dated September 16, 2022) and SaTC (as of solicitation NSF 24-504 dated October 31 2023)
    • 2 pages shared by all PIs
    • Followed by all Verified Departmental BPC Plans (in any order)
    • Total pages: 2 + Verified Departmental BPC Plan from each institution
  • CPS (as of the solicitation NSF 21-551 dated January 11, 2021)
    • Does not allow Connected Project BPC Plans; use a Standalone Project BPC Plan instead.

Document Content:

This section discusses the 2 pages that are not a Verified Departmental BPC Plan.

PI Engagement:

  • Each PI and co-PI must be listed as a participant in at least one activity from the Verified Departmental BPC Plan from their institution.
  • Several PIs/co-PIs may engage in the same activity and PIs/co-PIs may engage in multiple activities.
  • Exactly one Verified Departmental BPC Plan is submitted per institution; PIs and co-PIs engage in activities from that Plan even if it is not from their department of that institution.

Activity Descriptions:

  • The role and preparation for each participating PI and co-PI must be described.
  • The activity identifier or other information should uniquely specify the relevant activity from a Departmental BPC Plan. To facilitate the review, we recommended leading with a sentence like:
    • This is [activity identifier] from the Verified Departmental BPC Plan for [institution name]. The (1) goal and context, (2) intended population, (3) strategy, and (4) measurement are addressed in that Plan.
  • Any required information that is missing from the Departmental BPC Plan should be provided: (1) goal and context, (2) intended population, (3) strategy, or (4) measurement for a selected activity. See the Standalone Project BPC Plan page for guidance on addressing them.

Still unsure if a Connected Project BPC Plan is for you? Please see this decision flowchart for details on which type of Project BPC Plan you can use.

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Example of a Meaningful Connected Project BPC Plan

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Connected Project BPC Plan

NSF Reporting Requirements

Always refer to the solicitation you are responding to in order to find out about BPC Plan reporting requirements. Currently, CISE Core and SATC Medium awards are required to report about the results of the implementation of their BPC Plan in the Special Reporting Requirements sections of their NSF Annual Report.

According to the program solicitations NSF 23-561 (CISE Core)  and NSF 24-504 (SATC) Section VII. Award Administration Information Subsection C. Reporting Requirements, the Special Reporting Requirements section of the annual report should include:

  • A summary of what each PI and co-PI did, including any changes to the plan;
  • Numbers of events, participants, and participant demographics (if there are barriers to collecting this data, describe those limitations and provide the best estimates possible); and
  • A reflection (supported by data if available) on progress, any unexpected challenges or results, and anything planned.