Leveraging early career exploration to increase resilience and persistence in stem disciplines and careers

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education awarded $1.74M under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to the University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV), a Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Bronx, New York, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2031. This six-year Track 2 Project Grant provides scholarships and comprehensive student support services to 39 full-time undergraduate students pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. First-year scholars receive up to four years of scholarship funding to support degree completion and career placement in STEM fields.

The project delivers evidence-based STEM retention and persistence activities including academic and social cohorts, faculty mentoring, peer tutoring, undergraduate research opportunities, and first-year science-specific skill-building workshops. The institutional focus on low-income students with demonstrated financial need directly supports NSF's national priority to develop a well-educated workforce of scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians. Additionally, the project incorporates a mixed-methods evaluation component to assess recruitment, retention, and career placement outcomes and disseminates findings to stakeholder communities engaged in similar efforts to improve STEM education outcomes for economically disadvantaged students.

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at the university of mount saint vincent (umsv) a private, nonprofit institution and designated hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Over its six-year duration, this track 2 project will fund scholarships to 39 unique full time undergraduate students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. First-year students will receive up to four-years of scholarship support. The project offers scholars multiple evidence-based stem-retention activities such as academic and social cohorts, faculty mentoring, peer tutoring, undergraduate research opportunities, and first-year science-specific skill-building. The formative and summative evaluation will use a mixed methods approach to address the overarching question: to what extent does the project achieve the overall goal to recruit, retain, and place low-income students in stem-related careers? Knowing that umsv graduates often end up working within a 50-mile radius of the bronx, NY campus and future workforce projected job growth, wage rates, and demand indicates that scholars who earn their biology, chemistry, and biochemistry degrees will have a strong likelihood of achieving social mobility through a rewarding stem career. The project team will share information about the project's implementation, scholar outcomes, and other findings with stakeholders from communities that are similarly engaged in efforts to improve outcomes for low-income stem students. The overall goal of the project is to increase degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates in stem fields. There are five specific aims: (1) recruit and provide annual scholarships to at least 39 unique academically talented and low-income biology, biochemistry, and chemistry majors; (2) retain 90% of scholars in their stem major from their first to second year and 85% from second to third year; (3) graduate 80% of scholars pursuing undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry, with an 85% graduation rate within five years; and (5) contribute to the understanding of student supports that meet stem student-retention goals when coupled with financial support. While first-to-second-year retention is still a focal point of the project, the attrition points for scholars begin at the end of the sophomore year, impacting the progression to graduation. The project team will examine the relationship between proactive career-exploration interventions coupled with non-cognitive and psychosocial skill-building that may mitigate second year attrition and sustain scholars in stem degree and non-medical stem career paths. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.