Some of you may remember the e-mail I wrote to a colleague in the White House. It was about my concerns about the loss of two National Science Foundation programs:

Tribal Colleges and University Program (TCUP);
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).

Well FairerScience friend Lorelle Espinosa has given us an update on what is (and isn't happening) including her concern that:.

NSF—an agency scientific in its orientation—has presented a plan with little to no empirical basis as to why a consolidated program will serve the nation’s underrepresented students in ways better than what is currently in place.

Ah NSF, you've made so many good choices, but killing TCUP and HBCU UP is not one of them. NSF support for minority serving institutions has been an important piece of efforts to broaden STEM participation and it needs to continue. We've made progress but there still is a long way to go.

PS folks, there still is time to let NSF know how you feel. Click here to comment.