WIP: Embracing Challenges for Transformative Change in Research Capacity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

This work-in-progress innovative practice paper describes an approach and presents preliminary results of an effort by the NSF-funded Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) to build research capacity of faculty at HSIs and students from underserved populations. A key factor in our nation's ability to innovate solutions to grand challenges and compete in a technology-enhanced world that rapidly changes is the involvement of individuals with different perspectives, experiences, and disciplinary knowledge. Diversifying representation in research cannot be achieved without involvement of HSIs, which enroll significant numbers of minoritized students in U.S. higher education. This paper describes a CAHSI-Google Institutional Research Program (IRP) that builds research capacity through partnerships between computing doctoral-granting CAHSI institutions and computing non-doctoral granting CAHSI institutions. This paper describes the IRP and its well-defined process to support faculty as they develop and refine research ideas and submit competitive proposals for funding through the IRP that includes a collaboration plan outlining coordination mechanisms and student professional development efforts.