This National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) Project Grant award of $192,796 to the University of North Alabama (UNA) aims to support research on factors that influence the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income STEM students from rural communities. The 5-year project will establish a strategic alliance among rural-serving institutions to collaborate on research about belonging, persistence, and career pathways for this student population. Key activities include building and managing rural-serving institution network groups to gather and analyze data, providing capacity-building and technical support for STEM education research at these institutions, and disseminating findings on effective interventions to support rural, low-income STEM students. The overall goal is to address the gap in rural STEM higher education research and contribute to the development of a well-educated STEM workforce, particularly in rural areas.