One major AGEP program at IU-Bloomington is the funding of “Breaking Grounds Initiatives”: faculty-initiated projects aiming to recruit and retain underrepresented minority graduate students in the STEM disciplines. AGEP will soon award the third round of funds for these initiatives since AGEP began at IU in 2004.
Past awards have supported the following initiatives:
- AY 2006-07, and 2007-08: "Bring IT On!", a three-day workshop held by the School of Informatics for historically black college and university (HBCU) computer science students on developing K-12 outreach programs for their schools. The workshop was repeated during the second year of funding for undergraduate students from IU's campuses around the state. The School of Informatics has also sponsored a reunion event for participants to encourage the development of their outreach programs!
- AY 2007-08: The establishment of a chapter of NOBCChE, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, at the IUB Department of Chemistry
- AY 2006-07, and 2007-08: "Training for Research and Academic Careers in Communication Sciences" (TRACCS), a Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences summer research training program for underrepresented minority undergraduate students studying communication sciences and disorders
- AY 2007-08: Development of a one-week astronomy immersion program at the Kitt Peak National Observatory for Native American undergraduate students facilitated by the IU Department of Astronomy graduate program
- AY 2007-08: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences efforts to generate community within its underrepresented minority graduate students through one-on-one informal mentoring sessions
- AY 2006-07: Enhancement of underrepresented minority (URM) graduate student recruitment within the Department of Geography by funding conference travel, print material production and networking with LSAMP affiliates
