Frequently Asked Questions

A PIER Plan is a description of activities and strategies to enhance the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research through inclusion and equity efforts. Plans may include, but are not limited to: strategies of key personnel and/or the applicant institution (and collaborating institutions, if applicable) for enhanced recruitment of undergraduate students, graduate students, and early-stage investigators (postdoctoral researchers, and others), including individuals from diverse backgrounds and groups historically underrepresented in the research community; strategies for creating and sustaining a positive, inclusive, safe, and professional research and training environment that fosters a sense of belonging among all research personnel; and/or training, mentoring, and professional development opportunities. PIER Plans may build from current diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts of the key personnel and/or applicant institution, but they should be distinct from those efforts and should be an integral part of the proposed project. The PIER Plan is submitted as an appendix to the research proposal at the time of application.

Inclusive and equitable research refers to, but is not limited to, the research environment, the composition of the research team, the responsibilities among the research participants, and the distribution of leadership activities of the research personnel. Inclusion is an intentional and ongoing effort to ensure that research personnel from all backgrounds are psychologically and physically safe, fully involved and respected in all aspects of the research project, including decision-making. Equity requires that resources are distributed to provide all project personnel access to opportunity.

The question, “What groups are historically underrepresented in STEM?” does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. It’s a relative term and has meaning only when compared to a relevant baseline. That baseline depends on, for example, the scientific field and the education level (post-secondary, undergrad, grad, early career, mid-career, etc.).

The Office of Science encourages diverse participation in their sponsored research and promotes equity, inclusion, and accessibility broadly through PIER Plans. Applicants should look at publicly available statistical information (e.g., NSF’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics data) for benchmark data in specific scientific fields. It is up to the applicant to determine how to best promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within their specific proposed research project and to determine what contributions they can make to create more inclusive and equitable research environments.

Strategies and activities for recruitment and inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds on the research project, including individuals from groups historically underrepresented in the research area, is just one of the areas of focus that the applicant may include in the PIER Plan. It is the applicant’s responsibility to identify what groups are historically underrepresented in the research field relevant to the research proposal. Applicants should look at publicly available statistical information, e.g., NSF’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics data for benchmark data in specific scientific fields.

The Office of Science defines diversity broadly. Diversity includes a broad spectrum of characteristics including, but not limited to, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, culture, language, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, family structure, geographic location, neurodiversity, technical expertise, and life experiences. We recognize this includes characteristics for which there may be limited available data or limited ability to collect specific demographic information from individuals.

Each Office of Science solicitation will contain the core PIER Plan requirement. Individual solicitations may include additional guidance areas, particularly if there is a history of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts within a research portfolio. It is not the intention of the DOE Office of Science to focus on any specific group as historically or contemporarily underrepresented population(s) for a particular solicitation. Rather, the PIER Plan may discuss how the applicants will be promoting inclusion and equity through the project personnel, through the research environment, and through the proposed work of the research proposal. This includes but is not limited to recruiting and retaining project personnel who come from groups historically or contemporarily underrepresented in the scientific discipline that is the focus of the research proposal.

The primary focus of a PIER Plan is the strategies and activities that will promote inclusion and equity within the research project. As part of a PIER Plan, applicants may include activities aimed at recruiting project personnel from historically marginalized communities, they may also include outreach to marginalized communities aimed at sharing research related results that serve to benefit those communities.

Applicants may leverage or build upon existing international DEIA efforts. These efforts should be integrally related to the proposed research project and to the research community relevant to the research portfolio supported by the sponsoring Office of Science Program Office for the solicitation.

No. PIER Plans are intended to be specific to the proposed research project. Innovative approaches that are integral to the research and support participation from diverse participants are encouraged. Applicants may build on existing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion efforts of the project personnel or applicant institution(s). The complexity and detail of a PIER Plan is expected to increase with the size of the research team and the number of personnel supported. Also, be sure to read the funding announcement (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call) carefully since it may contain unique requirements and include additional reviewer questions to address the unique requirement.

The Office of Science has prepared an initial compendium of existing evidence-based practices in publicly available reports as an initial resource for the research communities. The Office of Science will be assessing the content and quality of the PIER Plans received, will evaluate reviewer input and feedback, and will consult subject matter experts in the coming year. Over time, we will consider what constitutes promising practices or best practices for elements of a good PIER Plan. We look forward to seeing how the community responds to this overall requirement and how those responses can inform future resources.

A PIER Plan should describe the activities and strategies applicants will incorporate to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within their research projects. If the development of a STEM pathway is an integral part of the scope of proposals being solicited by the sponsoring Office of Science Program Offices, then the PIER Plan may include the activities and strategies the applicant will take to promote inclusion and equity within that scope of work

Applicants are expected to establish their own milestones and measures to assess progress of their PIER Plans. Awardee’s assessment of progress towards implementing the PEIR plans should be included as part of the annual progress reports to the Office of Science. The Office of Science expects Principal Investigators to report on their progress with the PIER Plans with the same rigor that they report on the progress of their research. The success of PIER Plan activities may be evaluated as part of project performance reviews or as part of future renewal awards.

Yes. PIER Plans are required for invitational proposals by DOE National Labs. Program managers should be including that requirement as part of their instructions in invitations for proposals. If those instructions are not specifically included, please refer to the Office of Science website for guidance. PIER Plans should not exceed three pages and should be included (attached) as part of the research proposal submitted to the Office of Science.

The PIER Plan should be submitted as part of the research proposal narrative in an appendix. It should be part of the single PDF that is submitted with the application materials.

The format of the PIER Plan should follow the format requirements in the guidance for the proposal narrative. If not otherwise specified, use 1-inch margins and font no smaller than 11-point. The length of the PIER Plan should not exceed three pages. The PIER Plan does not count toward the overall page limit of the research proposal narrative specified in the solicitation.

Also, be sure to read the solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call) carefully since it may contain additional requirements.

PIER Plans are expected to be specific to the proposal and an integral part of the scientific and technical merits of the proposed research. PIER Plans may incorporate or build upon existing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion efforts of the project key personnel or applicant institution(s) but should not be a re-statement of standard institutional policies or broad principles.

Applicants may leverage existing institutional or organizations DEIA policies, procedures, and programs as they relate to the research proposal being submitted. However, the PIER Plan must describe the direct connection between the policies/procedures/programs and how they will specifically be applied or utilized by project personnel through the proposed research project.

Yes. Plans may incorporate or build upon existing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion efforts of the project key personnel, so relevant experiences germane to the PIER Plan may be included. The PIER Plan should be developed to uniquely support the application, and it should provide sufficient relevant detail in order for reviewers to evaluate the PIER Plan consistent with the merit review criterion’s guiding questions for reviewers.

In addition, be sure to read the solicitation you are responding to carefully since it may contain requirements unique to that solicitation.

The activities proposed in a PIER Plan for the renewal proposal may build on existing efforts to promote inclusion and equity in research, but the scope of the PIER Plan must specifically describe strategies and activities that will be an integral part of the proposed renewal project.

There are no restrictions about whether the PIER Plan can leverage existing activities, but the PIER Plan needs to address strategies and activities unique to the submitted research proposal and involve the project personnel on the proposed project.

No. The PIER Plan must be submitted in the single PDF containing the research proposal narrative. Do not email the PIER Plan to the program manager. If the application was submitted before the submission deadline, you may go back into PAMS and resubmit the complete application that includes the PIER Plan prior to the submission deadline. If it is past the submission deadline, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be evaluated.

No. Only one PIER Plan should be submitted with the application and it should incorporate the roles, activities, and strategies of those institutions for promoting equity and inclusion as an intrinsic element of the research project.

No. Collaborative proposals must submit one, identical proposal research narrative for all submitting collaborating institutions. Likewise, the applications should include one identical PIER Plan with all collaborative proposals submitted. The single PIER Plan should incorporate the roles, activities, and strategies of collaborating institutions for promoting equity and inclusion on the research project.

No. A single overall PIER Plan should be included with the research proposal submitted by the lead DOE Lab. The PIER Plan should refer to planned efforts by, or expectations of collaborating partners, including DOE Labs, if they are known at the time of application.

No, a tailored PIER Plan must be submitted with each research proposal submitted to SC. Large community collaborations may be funded through multiple separate award agreements and by multiple agencies. While the PIER Plan may refer to how the proposed DEIA efforts on the proposed research project are linked to or leverage a larger community collaboration’s efforts to advance DEIA among the collaboration, each research application to SC must provide a PIER Plan specific to the scope of research being proposed in the application and the proposed project personnel.

Proposals supporting a large team of investigators, broken into multiple sub-projects or tasks must ensure that all key personnel are engaged such that the entire project promotes an equitable, inclusive, and accessible research environment.

For large team proposals awarded under a cooperative agreement, the sponsoring Office of Science Program Office may require additional details on the PIER Plan post-award as part of the overall management plan to ensure equitable roles and responsibilities of key personnel. For large team proposals awarded under standard grant terms and conditions, the sponsoring Office of Science Program Office will evaluate progress reports on PIER Plans to assess whether responsibilities have been shared in an equitable manner. Program Offices may include additional guidance in the solicitation that requires clarification of roles and responsibilities for the PIER Plan among key personnel. This may include the evaluation of equitable roles and responsibilities in the implementation of past plans as part of the evaluation of renewal proposals.

Yes. Applicants may include costs related to the development and implementation of their PIER Plan in the budget. DOE expects that the majority of costs incurred with PIER Plans will be for personnel (time and effort. All costs must conform to the applicable cost principles, institutional policies, and be properly documented in a budget justification.

No, there is not a specific type of activity being emphasized over others to be included in PIER Plans. Applicants may include costs related to the development and implementation of their PIER Plan in the budget, and those costs will vary based on the scope of the plan. The PIER Plan should describe the activities and strategies applicants will incorporate to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the scope of their research projects and in the research environment. Outreach may be part of a PIER Plan but is not a required element. Proposed outreach efforts should be integral to advancing DEIA within the project to be considered within scope and merit funding.

Yes, all applications for funding to the Office of Science, with the exception of supplemental proposals, conference proposals, and proposals to the SBIR/STTR Programs (at this time), require a PIER Plan. All applicants are encouraged to consider what contributions they can make to creating more equitable and inclusive research environments. It is expected that the complexity and detail of a PIER Plan for a single PI submission would be less than that for a larger research project.

Yes, all applications for funding to the Office of Science, with the exception of supplemental proposals, conference proposals, and proposals to the SBIR/STTR Programs (at this time), require a PIER Plan. All applicants are encouraged to consider what contributions they can make to creating more equitable and inclusive research environments. It is expected that the complexity and detail of a PIER Plan for a smaller research project and fewer project personnel would be less than that for a larger research project.

No. Applications requesting SC funding to support a conference do not require a PIER Plan. However, SC has established new requirements for conference proposals beginning in FY 2023. Please see the FY 2023 SC Open Call (FY 2023 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program) for additional information on those requirements for financial assistance awards; requests for conference support from DOE National Laboratories are subject to similar requirements.

In general, SC’s merit review criteria are established as the following in descending order of importance (weight), unless otherwise specified in the solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call):

• Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project;
• Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach;
• Competency of Applicant’s Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources;
• Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget; and
• Quality and Efficacy of the Plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research.

Read the solicitation carefully to determine the relative significance (or weight) of the criteria for the merit review process associated with the particular solicitation.

The Office of Science has not provided specific guidance on documenting the progress or outcomes of activities proposed in the PIER Plan. SC anticipates the scope and detail of PIER Plans to vary across applications and solicitations. When developing a PIER Plan, applicants should consider identifying major milestones for proposed activities and how they will track those activities over time. Principal Investigators on funded awards are required to report progress on carrying out their PIER Plans as part of their annual reports to the Office of Science following the standard research progress report formats.

The standard merit review criterion for the evaluation of the PIER Plan is, Quality and Efficacy of the Plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research.

The guiding questions for reviewers in the evaluation of this criterion include the following:

• Is the proposed PIER Plan suitable for the size and complexity of the proposed project and an integral component of the proposed project?
• To what extent is the PIER Plan likely to lead to participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals historically underrepresented in the research community?
• What aspects of the PIER Plan are likely to contribute to the goal of creating and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, encouraging, and professional training and research environment and supporting a sense of belonging among project personnel?
• How does the proposed Plan include intentional mentorship and are the associated mentoring resources reasonable and appropriate?

Please refer to the guiding reviewer questions posted in the solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call) as some questions may be slightly tailored to the scope and objectives of the solicitation. Plans should include sufficient detail for reviewers to evaluate the plan against the above questions.

Reviewers for the Office of Science will be provided standardized guidance for the evaluation of PIER Plans as part of required reviewer orientation materials, including an overview of the application requirements and the broad range of the possible scope areas that could be included in a PIER Plan. Reviewers will be provided example guiding questions for the review, as well as information made available to the community to help guide applicants in the development of their PIER Plans.

No. If an application is missing a PIER Plan, it will be considered an incomplete application and will not be evaluated. Applicants should consider whether it would be in their best interests to withdraw the application.

Yes. Beginning in FY 2023, applications submitted in response to a DOE Laboratory Announcement must include a PIER Plan. Please refer to the detailed language in the DOE Laboratory Announcement regarding the PIER Plan requirements.

Yes. All research proposals submitted to SC from the DOE National Laboratories beginning in FY 2023, whether submitted to a Laboratory Announcement or in response to Program-specific invitation, must include a PIER Plan. Please refer to the general guidance language on the SC website.

No. Current awardees are not subject to the new PIER Plan requirement. However, any renewal proposal submitted to the Office of Science beginning in FY 2023 will require a PIER Plan as part of the application.

Yes, renewal proposals submitted to the Office of Science (SC) starting in FY 2023 require a PIER Plan, with the exception of the SBIR/STTR Programs. This includes all Funding Opportunity Announcements, the FY 2023 SC Open Call (FY 2023 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program), DOE Laboratory Announcements, or a proposal submitted to SC in response to a specific SC Program invitational request to a DOE Laboratory for new or renewal funding (e.g., renewal of DOE laboratory base research program, or Science Focus Area proposals).

No, proposals for supplemental funding on existing awards do not require a PIER Plan.

Investigators should always direct their questions to their institutional Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent). This office is responsible for the content and submission of any applications. Technical SC program managers can always offer advice about the scientific intent of any FOA or Laboratory Announcement. General administrative questions may be sent to sc.grantsandcontracts@science.doe.gov.

Yes, the expectation is that all reviewers have the necessary knowledge and experience to review a PIER Plan. Topics and issues involving diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are critical to the success of institutions and their employees, trainees, and students. As members of the scientific community who work in institutions with a commitment to DEIA efforts, reviewers should be able to evaluate PIER Plans. Reviewers should use the guiding reviewer questions provided to assist them as they evaluate plans that will achieve equitable and inclusive research environments and enhance the scientific merit of the proposed research.

• Is the proposed PIER Plan suitable for the size and complexity of the proposed project and an integral component of the proposed project?
• To what extent is the PIER Plan likely to lead to participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals historically underrepresented in the research community?
• What aspects of the PIER Plan are likely to contribute to the goal of creating and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, encouraging, and professional training and research environment and supporting a sense of belonging among project personnel?
• How does the proposed Plan include intentional mentorship and are the associated mentoring resources reasonable and appropriate?

Additional guiding questions may be provided by the SC Program staff leading the merit review process. Please follow the Program guidance for the review. There may be additional guiding reviewer questions that are unique to the underlying solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call).

During the merit review process, the lead SC Program Manager is the best resource for additional information or guidance regarding evaluating the PIER Plan. General information on the PIER Plan requirement is available on the SC website. PIER Plans should address the guiding questions listed in the solicitation under the relevant review criterion: Quality and Efficacy of the Plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research. The guiding reviewer questions include:

• Is the proposed PIER Plan suitable for the size and complexity of the proposed project and an integral component of the proposed project?
• To what extent is the PIER Plan likely to lead to participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals historically underrepresented in the research community?
• What aspects of the PIER Plan are likely to contribute to the goal of creating and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, encouraging, and professional training and research environment and supporting a sense of belonging among project personnel?
• How does the proposed Plan include intentional mentorship and are the associated mentoring resources reasonable and appropriate?

Additional reviewer questions may be included in the solicitation if applicable to the scope of the solicitation and history of the research efforts; those additional reviewer questions should be provided by the SC Program Offices as part of the overall guidance to reviewers.

In general, SC’s merit review criteria are established as the following in descending order of importance (weight), unless otherwise specified in the solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Call):

• Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project;
• Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach;
• Competency of Applicant’s Personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources;
• Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget; and
• Quality and Efficacy of the Plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research.

In general, the order of the merit review criteria listed in the solicitation (Funding Opportunity Announcement or DOE Laboratory Announcement) conveys the relative significance (or weight) of the criteria in descending order of importance. Every SC Program Office has its own established processes and guidance for reviewers regarding how applications will be evaluated and scored (e.g., numerically and/or adjectivally) in the merit review process for a particular solicitation. The order of importance (i.e., weight) of a particular review criterion relative to other review criteria are specified in the solicitation, and the reviewer guidance relative to their consideration of the review criteria should be consistent with that published order of importance. The lead SC Program Manager is the best resource for information about the relative weighting and scoring rubric for the review you are participating in.

No examples of PIER Plans will be provided. The general guidance to applicants about the scope of PIER Plans can be found on the PIER Plan website. Each PIER Plan is expected to be unique and should be integral to and enhance the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research. It should address the guiding reviewer questions listed for the criterion, Quality and Efficacy of the Plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research.