The Geoscience Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity – Expanding the Network (GOLD-EN) program, managed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), aims to address the persistent lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the geoscience community. Recognizing that underrepresented individuals in STEM fields often contribute disproportionately to scientific innovation but face systemic barriers to long-term participation, GOLD-EN seeks to develop innovative strategies and evidence-based practices to enhance inclusion and retention in geoscience education, research, and careers.

The program encourages proposals in two main focus areas. The first is professional development, targeting the creation and scaling of training programs and initiatives to foster BAJEDI (Belonging, Accessibility, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) leadership. Examples include training graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in DEI leadership, creating safe and inclusive education and research standards, developing guidance for institutional DEI plans, and ensuring the recognition of DEI contributions in academic promotion systems. The second focus area is building geoscience capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), supporting the creation or expansion of geoscience educational and degree programs at MSIs. Proposals in this area should address the development of partnerships, bridge programs, and infrastructure to support sustainable geoscience education at MSIs.

Proposals are expected to integrate social and behavioral science expertise to address systemic barriers to inclusion. Collaboration and dissemination of lessons learned from related initiatives, such as NSF INCLUDES, are strongly encouraged to maximize impact and scalability. Proposals must clearly demonstrate alignment with GOLD-EN’s goals and mission to ensure competitiveness during the review process.

Eligible activities may include professional development workshops, creation of mentorship and support networks, pilot bridge programs for students transitioning across educational and professional stages, and efforts to address institutional barriers hindering DEI progress. Successful proposals should present a clear and measurable plan for implementation, sustainability, and evaluation of outcomes.

Proposals must follow NSF submission guidelines, either via Research.gov or Grants.gov, adhering to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Target submission dates are annually on the fourth Friday of April and October. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact program directors Brandon Jones, Bernard M. Grant, Aisha R. Morris, Elizabeth L. Rom, or Amanda S. Adams via the program's shared contact email (geogold@nsf.gov) for guidance and clarification.

This initiative aligns with NSF's broader commitment to broadening participation in STEM fields and fostering systemic change to ensure that the geosciences benefit from the full spectrum of talent and perspectives.