What are Broader Impacts and why are they important?

Broader Impacts are a critical aspect of most agency proposals, but particularly for the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF funds research that advances discovery and innovation, but also expects researchers' work to have the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes. By including Broader Impacts in funded research NSF ensures that publicly funded research has tangible benefits to society that go beyond increasing knowledge. NSF provides a complete description of Broader Impacts on its website.

The Research Development Unit is committed to improving the quality and reach of Broader Impacts activities conducted by College of Sciences faculty and their collaborators. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Broader Impacts programs at Oregon State University. We aim to connect faculty with education and outreach professionals so that they may jointly develop proposals that have strong positive societal impacts.

If you would like assistance developing Broader Impacts or Diversity and Inclusion statements, please reach out to Kameron Kadooka, COS Director of Equity, Access, and Inclusion

Some examples of Broader Impacts activities include:

• Increasing inclusion in STEM
• Improving STEM education
• Increasing public engagement with STEM
• Improving societal well-being
• STEM Workforce development
• Building industry-academic partnerships
• Improving national security
• Increasing economic competitiveness
• Enhancing infrastructure for research and education

Examples of Broader Impacts Programs at OSU

SMILE: Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences

Science & Math Investigative Learning Experiences are rural after-school programs that:

• Help historically underrepresented students, students who are from low income households, and those who would be the first in their families to go to college gain STEM skills
• Engages 4-12 grade students statewide in science, math and engineering year round
• Provides professional development to a community of teachers

SMILE clubs and events engage students in STEM activities that incorporate art, design and communication, and contribute to creative and innovative problem solving. The weekly afterschool club meetings are also testing grounds for teachers to introduce, evaluate and adapt new activities for their regular classrooms.

Additionally, SMILE supports community projects linked to STEM research. For example, we have recently supported the Research and Education Collaborative Occultation Network's astronomy project at Madras High School.

OMSI Science Communication Fellowship

Oregon State University and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), one of the nation's leading science centers, have enjoyed a close partnership since 2016. Joining forces to bring together researchers, educators and the public, OSU and OMSI have helped researchers collaborate more effectively on the broader impacts of their grant proposals.

OMSI hosts its popular Science Communication Fellowship cohort program on OSU’s Corvallis campus every spring. More than 70 students, faculty and staff from across science at OSU have completed the training program, including the Colleges of Science; Engineering; Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science; Agricultural Sciences; Forestry; and Public Health and Human Sciences.

OSU Precollege Programs

The Office of Precollege Programs supports and oversees a wide range of youth outreach activities designed to increase college access and academic preparation for Oregon’s youth. Academic programs and youth camps provide pathways to higher education and offer opportunities to enhance college readiness and career awareness.

Pernot Microbiology Summer Camp

The Pernot Microbiology Camp is an experiential learning program for historically underrepresented or underserved students interested in a STEM career.

During this week-long immersive science camp high-students will learn about three subfields of microbiology including, Food System Science, Human Health and Disease, and Aquatic Microbiology. Students will conduct microbiology focused laboratory experiments, learn critical science skills, go on field trips, and hear from diverse speakers across the field of microbiology about career avenues and opportunities in science, technology and education.

OSU Juntos

Juntos Para Una Mejor Educación Program (Together for a Better Education) works to empower Latinx students and families around education. Juntos means “together” in Spanish, which reflects the program’s core values of engaging the entire family and school partners in the students’ educational goals.

Juntos is a multi-component program intentionally designed to transform pathways to higher education for Latinx youth and their families by bringing the participants and educational institutions together. Juntos is unique among college access programs because it engages the entire family with a strong emphasis on cultural responsiveness, while minimizing barriers to participation.