This $301,653 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) supports a 5-year project at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) to increase the persistence and retention of high-achieving, low-income students pursuing Bachelor's degrees in STEM fields. The project will provide $1.2M in scholarships to support 26 unique full-time STEM students at UNO. In addition to the scholarships, the project will implement a comprehensive set of...
This $188,901 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) will establish a Research Hub to investigate factors that influence the recruitment, retention, and graduation of rural, low-income students in STEM fields. The five-year project brings together a strategic alliance of rural-serving institutions, including Mississippi State University, North Dakota State University, Indiana Wesleyan University, University of North...
This six-year, $1.5 million National Science Foundation project grant will support the retention and graduation of 30 low-income, first-generation undergraduate students pursuing degrees in biology, biochemistry, or chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Funded through NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, the project aims to increase degree completion among academically talented students with financial need studying STEM fields. Key...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education Program (CFDA 47.076) award of $192,194 provides funding to Texas Tech University System to build and manage a research network focused on investigating factors that influence the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students in STEM fields. The key products and services delivered through this 5-year project include: Conducting research through a network of rural-serving institutions to gather and analyze data on the...
This NSF STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) Project Grant award of $2,230,149 to Mississippi State University will support a collaborative research hub focused on increasing the retention, graduation, and STEM career participation of rural, low-income college students. The award will fund the development of a strategic alliance among five rural-serving institutions (RSIs) to conduct research on factors influencing the belonging, persistence, and academic/career outcomes of this student population. Key...
This $193,940 project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) aims to research factors that influence the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students in STEM fields. The project will develop a strategic alliance among rural-serving institutions (RSIs) to collaborate on research about belonging and support for rural, low-income STEM students. Key activities include building and managing rural serving institution...
This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program ($398,859) provides scholarships and academic support services to approximately 115 low-income undergraduate students studying statistics and data science at seven universities in California and Washington. At least 65 scholars will receive continued scholarship support for up to two years of graduate studies. The goal is to increase degree completion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields...
This $192,796 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) will establish a research hub to investigate factors that influence the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income rural students in STEM fields. The grant will fund a strategic alliance among Mississippi State University, North Dakota State University, Indiana Wesleyan University, University of North Alabama, and Texas Tech University to gather and analyze data on...
The National Science Foundation awarded a $1,447,429 Project Grant to North Dakota State College of Science under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to support scholarships for low-income students pursuing associate's degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Over the six-year period from October 2022 to September 2028, the college will provide scholarships to at least 70 students, with approximately 85% pursuing career and technical education degrees. In addition...
This $996,266 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) program will fund scholarships of up to $15,000 per year for up to five years for twelve high-achieving, low-income students pursuing bachelor's degrees in artificial intelligence, computer science, cyber operations, or mathematics at Dakota State University (DSU). The project aims to increase STEM degree completion among this target population and help address the national need...
NEBRASKA STEM SCHOLARS: IMPROVING STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP AND SUPPORT SERVICES -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT WAYNE STATE COLLEGE (WSC). WSC IS A FOUR-YEAR, RURAL, PUBLIC COLLEGE IN LOCATED NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. IT IS PART OF THE NEBRASKA STATE COLLEGE SYSTEM AND SERVES APPROXIMATELY 4,200 STUDENTS. WSC'S VISION IS TO MAKE A NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IN RURAL AND COMMUNITY LIFE THROUGH LEARNING EXCELLENCE AND STUDENT SUCCESS. FOLLOWING AN AIM OF THE RURAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH ACT PASSED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN MAY, 2021, THE PROJECT WILL BE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF RURAL NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA TO PROVIDE QUALITY STEM EDUCATION AND STEM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING TO STUDENTS. IN PARTICULAR, OVER ITS 6-YEAR DURATION, THIS PROJECT WILL FUND 4-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS TO 18 DISTINCT TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES (3 DIFFERENT COHORTS OF 6 STUDENTS EACH) MAJORING IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, OR MATHEMATICS. IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT, STUDENTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES AIMED AT REDUCING AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO STEM SUCCESS AND DEGREE COMPLETION. AT THE INITIAL STAGE, STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND A ?SUCCEEDING IN THE SCIENCES WEEK? PRIOR TO THE START OF THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR TO PREPARE THEM FOR THE RIGORS OF A STEM EDUCATION AND BEGIN TO BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG THEIR COHORT SCHOLAR GROUP. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES WILL INCLUDE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING, FACULTY MENTORING, INTERNSHIPS, ON CAMPUS LIVING FOR 2 YEARS, PARTICIPATION AND PRESENTATIONS AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES, SPECIAL CAREER COUNSELING, SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION, AND FACULTY MENTORING TO HELP STUDENTS IDENTIFY AND CONDUCT RESEARCH PROJECTS. AS ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT, FACULTY WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND A FACULTY MOBILE SUMMER INSTITUTE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE TRAINING IN EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING METHODS. PROJECT INVESTIGATORS WILL DISSEMINATE OUTCOMES AND FINDINGS RELATED TO PROJECT CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES, ESPECIALLY TO OTHER SMALL PUBLIC RURAL INSTITUTIONS STRIVING TO SUPPORT LOW-INCOME STEM STUDENTS. TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF LOW-INCOME, HIGH-ACHIEVING UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED, THE PROJECT WILL PURSUE SEVERAL GOALS. FIRST IS TO REMOVE FINANCIAL BARRIERS AND TO ADAPT, IMPLEMENT, AND ANALYZE A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO BUILD CAPACITY TO SUPPORT, RETAIN, AND GRADUATE THE PROJECT'S RURAL BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND MATHEMATICS SCHOLARS. SECOND IS TO ENHANCE THE REGIONAL STEM WORKFORCE BY PROVIDING SPECIAL CAREER PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PREPARE THEM TO CONTRIBUTE THROUGH EMPLOYMENT OR PURSUIT OF ADVANCED DEGREES. THIRD IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE BY IMPLEMENTING, TESTING, AND STUDYING THROUGH PROJECT EVALUATION STRATEGIES FOR SYSTEMATICALLY SUPPORTING STUDENT ACADEMIC AND CAREER PATHWAYS IN STEM. AND FOURTH IS TO DISSEMINATE OUTCOMES AND FINDINGS RELATED TO THE SUPPORTS AND INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS WORKING TO SUPPORT TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STEM STUDENTS. AIMED AT ADDRESSING THE GOALS, PROJECT EVALUATION IS DESIGNED TO EMPLOY QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO THE EFFICACY OF PROJECT STRATEGIES TO PROVIDE FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE FEEDBACK TO THE PROJECT AND TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTIVE ONES FOR REPLICATION, ESPECIALLY IN OTHER RURAL SETTINGS. RELATED TO THIS, THE DIRECTIONS OF INVESTIGATION WILL ADDRESS GAPS IN THE LITERATURE AND STRENGTHEN THE KNOWLEDGE BASE ON IMPACTFUL AND PRACTICAL INTERVENTIONS UNIQUE TO RURAL, FIRST-GENERATION, LOW-INCOME, ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF?S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.