exploreCSR

Google's exploreCSR awards aid higher education efforts to support students from historically marginalized groups to pursue graduate studies and research careers in computing

Increasing student pursuit of computing research is a top priority at Google, especially for students historically marginalized in the field. Since 2018, the exploreCSR awards have supported institutions to design and host research-focused workshops during the academic year that expose new students, retain existing students, and build community in computing research.

See exploreCSR recipients

Program Status

Applications are currently closed.

Please check back in June 2023 for details on the upcoming cycle.

Award information

In addition to receiving funding, principal investigators (PIs) have the opportunity to join a community of practice, participate in cross-site evaluation of student outcomes, collaborate with Google researchers, request supplemental funding and support from TensorFlow, and request funding for undergraduate research. Strong applications will demonstrate how the proposed workshop builds student self-efficacy, sense of belonging, practical skills, motivation to pursue computing research, and actionable strategies to pursue graduate studies. Partnership with other local institutions and organizations, both PhD-granting and not, is strongly encouraged.

Curious to learn about the experiences of past participants and the program’s impact?

Read our blog posts featuring students Eric Ponte and Xavier Amparo of our 2021 TensorFlow awardees, 2020 awardees Maria Gini and Shana Watters, students Nimeesha Chan and Princess Sampson, and our publications in SIGCSE 2021 and RESPECT 2021.

Award details

Eligible to professors, faculty, and administrative staff working in the field at an accredited, degree-granting institution (if you are not from a PhD-granting institution, it is strongly recommended that you collaborate with a partner who is)
Institutions may receive one award per academic year, for up to three total years
- Up to $18,000 in year one, $15,000 in year two, $10,000 in year three (USD)
Awards are disbursed as unrestricted gifts to the institution

Review criteria

We ask that proposals outline:

Student audience: plans to recruit students from historically marginalized groups, knowledge of those students' opportunities and constraints in computing research (will vary by region).
Partnerships: current or anticipated partner institutions/organizations that will support the workshop.
Content: plans to foster a research culture (e.g., research training, experiential projects, mentorship), grow students' professional capital and networks, build science identity and peer community, and provide holistic advising (e.g., graduate admission process, transition to graduate school life, academic and financial resources).
Sustainment plans: plans to build an inclusive culture of computing research that sustains students beyond the core activities of the workshop (e.g., social events, advanced workshops, presentation series, summer research experiences).
Budget: proposed use of funding.

Frequently asked questions

Learn more about our programs and outreach efforts on our FAQ page.

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