Project Grant 2308599

MISSOURI LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (MOLSAMP): SCALING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL SETS OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENTS IN STEM ACROSS THE STATE OF MISSOURI -THE LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCES FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (LSAMP) PROGRAM ASSISTS UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS MATRICULATING INTO AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING HIGH QUALITY DEGREE PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) DISCIPLINES TO DIVERSIFY THE STEM WORKFORCE. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES, AND RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN SUPPORT OF POPULATIONS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM DISCIPLINES: AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANIC AMERICANS, AMERICAN INDIANS, ALASKA NATIVES, NATIVE HAWAIIANS, AND NATIVE PACIFIC ISLANDERS. THESE STRATEGIES FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF WELL-PREPARED STUDENTS HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND MOTIVATED TO PURSUE GRADUATE EDUCATION OR CAREERS IN STEM. FOR THE UNITED STATES TO REMAIN GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE, IT IS VITAL THAT IT TAPS INTO THE TALENT OF ALL ITS CITIZENS AND PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATIONAL PREPAREDNESS IN STEM AREAS THAT UNDERPIN THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY. THE MISSOURI LOUIS STOKES ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION (MOLSAMP) PROGRAM HAS FORMED AN ALLIANCE IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR A MORE DIVERSE AND SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE. THAT NEED STILL EXISTS AND IS PARTICULARLY ACUTE IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. THE INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE UP THE ALLIANCE ARE DIVERSE AND INCLUDE HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY, AN HBCU AND LEAD INSTITUTION, LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, AN HBCU; MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY; TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY; UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI; UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA; UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS; THE ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM; AND WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, THE ALLIANCE WILL IMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS BY IMPROVING RETENTION, PARTICIPATION IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, AND THE OVERALL NUMBER OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS GRADUATING WITH STEM DEGREES FROM THE NINE ALLIANCE INSTITUTIONS. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, RESEARCHERS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT BELIEVE THAT THE IMPROVED RESULTS WILL STRENGTHEN THE STEM WORKFORCE IN MISSOURI AND ULTIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.