Providing Support for Faculty Sponsored Research

Since 2005, the U-M Museum of Natural History has partnered with U-M faculty to support more than 60 funded National Science Foundation awards. With our diverse audiences, new interactive spaces, and experienced professional staff, the museum makes an excellent Broader Impacts partner.

We want to help you tell your story.

In 2019, the museum completed its move to the new Biological Sciences Building, with innovative exhibits and programs that keep pace with current scientific thought and inspire audiences to engage in explorations of scientific research and discovery. In the first year the museum was open we welcomed more than 200,000 visitors, including campus, community, and K-12 audiences.

With free admission, the museum is open and accessible to everyone.

The museum offers a variety of project ideas for U-M faculty Broader Impacts, including exhibits, K-12 programs, public programs, multimedia experiences in our Planetarium & Dome Theater, and science communication training.

How to Work with Us

Contact the museum at least 2-3 months before your proposal deadline. We’ll schedule an initial meeting with you to discuss what types of programs and/or exhibit elements might be a good fit for museum audiences and your Broader Impacts goals. Due to high demand for BI partnerships, the available offerings may be limited.

Once we have agreed upon a project plan, museum staff will create a detailed budget proposal for you to review and upon approval, provide a letter of collaboration.

Due to the high volume of faculty requests for museum Broader Impacts partnerships, we are prioritizing NSF-CAREER proposals over other types, and implementing a new process in 2023 for working with faculty on NSF-CAREER proposals.  The museum will prioritize partners whose projects most strongly align with the museum’s mission as capacity allows.

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