Conference: ExLENT Program PI Engagement Workshop

The ExLENT Program PI Engagement Workshop is designed to strengthen the nationwide cohort of principal investigators (PIs) awarded under the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program. ExLENT, a joint effort by NSF’s STEM Education (EDU) and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) directorates, expands access to hands-on learning and career pathways in emerging technology fields (e.g., AI, biotechnology, and semiconductors) for learners at different career stages and with nontraditional backgrounds. UIDP proposes to host a one-and-a-half-day workshop in Alexandria, VA in November 2025. The event will gather approximately 100 PIs to exchange best practices, learn about the program's evolving goals, address shared challenges, and build relational bonds for ongoing peer support and resource sharing. The workshop will enhance program effectiveness and amplify its impact by fostering a structured feedback loop between PIs and surfacing scalable strategies for learner engagement in the context of cross-sector collaboration. These efforts are vital to advancing U.S. competitiveness and economic growth and to addressing the growing national need for a technologically fluent, future-ready workforce. The initiative aligns with NSF’s mission to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense by cultivating a workforce skilled in critical and emerging technologies.

The workshop is structured to facilitate high-value, peer-to-peer learning and collaboration among ExLENT PIs who represent three different program learner tracks (Pivots, Beginnings, and Explorations), varying organization types (academic, nonprofit, and for-profit), and a range of technology focus areas. UIDP will employ a highly interactive workshop design, including facilitated breakout sessions by track, office hours with program officers, topic-specific lunch discussions, structured feedback mechanisms and a Global Café session that enables collective problem solving. Activities will be supported by pre-event data collection including a survey. Outputs will include a workshop summary report capturing best practices, challenges, and recommendations, and a post-event dissemination webinar. This effort contributes to NSF’s mission by enabling continuous improvement of a national-scale initiative aimed at workforce development in critical technology sectors. The workshop’s intentional structure will help distill lessons from disparate ExLENT-funded programs and disseminate findings across the network, supporting national objectives for economic competitiveness, technological leadership, and workforce development. Additionally, the event report will contain key learnings from different projects that can inform future program direction and be applied to increase the scalability and sustainability of the programs. Participants are empowered with peer strategies, access to other PIs to expand their networks, and actionable practices that can drive meaningful, long-term improvements in the field of STEM workforce development.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2534143
Principal Investigator: Anthony Boccanfuso
Funds Obligated: $119,944
State: SC