INSPIRED: Promoting diversity, retention, outreach and globalization readiness

The Increasing Student Participation in Research Development Program (ldquoINSPIREDrdquo), funded by a National Science Foundation Broadening Participation in Computing Grant, is designed to increase the participation of women and minorities in computing. This is needed to meet the growing demand for computer scientists and to strengthen the discipline by the infusion of their diverse ideas and perspectives. INSPIRED engages and develops students through an enriched research experience that includes mentoring, tutoring, and other support. INSPIRED is innovative in two respects. First, teams include students from all levels, freshmen through graduate students, and students can participate in multiple years. Secondly, the teams of students form the nucleus of a set of activities that are designed to retain and attract more students to computer science. Through involvement in outreach programs, INSPIRED students inspire others to enter and stay in the field. Working in diverse teams that include men and women from different cultures helps prepare students for the global workforce.