The NCWIT Academic Alliance Seed Fund awards members of NCWIT's Academic Alliance with start-up funds (up to $10,000 per project) to develop and implement initiatives for recruiting or retaining women in computing and IT. To-date, 34 member organizations have received a total of $415,450 over the first nine rounds. We thank Microsoft Research for their support of the Seed Fund.

We are pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for Round 10 of the Microsoft Research Seed Fund. To apply, simply submit a three page application to academic@ncwit.org. Applications are due on October 14, 2013, by midnight MT. Winners will be notified by February 27, 2013. For more information about the Call for Proposals for Round 10, please view our Call for Proposals Document.  Also, feel free to share our Promotion Card with your colleagues.

For more information about the NCWIT Academic Alliance and the Seed Fund Award program, contact the Academic Alliance Program Manager, Kim Kalahar. You can also download a copy of our Frequently Asked Questions. 

Round 9 Winners: February 12th, 2013:

Microsoft Research and NCWIT were pleased to announce the 9th round of Seed Fund winners via Press Release

• Auburn University will promote Computer Science (CS) among girls, by creating the Computer Science for All Girls (CS4ALL - G), a collaboration project that builds upon the Auburn University (AU) and Southern Union State Community College (SUSCC)’s successful joint efforts in recruiting and retaining girls and special needs students in computing careers. Project Principal Investigator: Daniela Marghitu.
• Columbia University will use its award to fund the Artemis Project, a five-week, full-day computer science summer program for 20 rising 9th girls attending local schools, taught by four female computer science and engineering undergraduate coordinators and one faculty mentor. Project Principal Investigator: Tal Malkin.
• Livingstone College  will provide students whose grades or SAT scores may not have earned them acceptance at other colleges and universities an introduction to technology, via a course that focuses on engaging, project-driven, hands-on activities. Project Principal Investigator: Kathryn Moland.
• Southern Illinois University will create a female-friendly learning environment by building a community in which female students actively engage in learning, research, and service activities. Project Principal Investigator: Nancy Martin.
• The University of California-Berkeley will build upon the best practices in computer science education research to inspire, empower, inform, connect, and mentor women who may pursue computer science. The program recruits UC Berkeley students who have expressed an interest in computer science and have not declared a major. Project Principal Investigator: Amy Tsai

For complete program results and status of past Seed Fund rounds, download our Seed Fund Executive Report. See previous winners here.

Learn more about NCWIT promising practices and other resources.