Rural low income student investigations network groups: researching belonging in stem, community, and higher education

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 experiences of rural, low-income students participating in NSF S-STEM projects. The project aims to build the capacity of rural-serving institutions to conduct research on how a sense of belonging impacts the persistence, graduation, and STEM employment of this student population. Research findings will be disseminated to support the broader community of rural-serving institutions in better addressing the specific challenges faced by rural, low-income STEM students.

Abstract

This s-stem research hub will contribute to the national need for a well-educated stem workforce by researching factors that influence the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. Building on a collaboration among mississippi state university, north dakota state university, indiana wesleyan university, university of north alabama, and texas tech university, the project will develop a strategic alliance among rural serving institutions (rsis) to collaborate and conduct research aimed at increasing rural, low-income college students? Success in stem majors and participation in stem careers. In particular, the alliance seeks to build capacity to conduct research about important aspects of belonging that can develop, accommodate, and support the graduation of domestic, rural, low-income stem students. As a result the project will inform ways that rsis can support the growth of the stem workforce in rural communities. Specific project activities include building and managing rural serving institution network groups to gather and analyze data and insights from the experiences of rural, low-income students who are participating in the NSF s-stem program. The research hub will also provide capacity-building and technical support for stem faculty at rsis to conduct education research about the role of belonging in rural student persistence, graduation, and stem employment. Research results about interventions that better support rural, low-income student success and contribute to the social and economic well-being of the rural communities they serve will be disseminated to the broader community of rural serving institutions. The overall aim of this project is to address the existing GAP in rural stem higher education research about how to support rural, low-income students, who face specific challenges in enrolling in, persisting in, and completing stem degrees. Three project goals guide the project's efforts. First, is to conduct research through rural serving institution network groups that gather and analyze data and insights resulting from the experiences of rural, low-income students participating in s-stem projects. Second, is to provide capacity-building, technical support, and strategic alliances for researchers at rsis, including summer institutes and network group facilitation, to contribute to the collective understanding of rural, low-income students? Enrollment, persistence, and completion of stem degree programs. Third, and finally, is to disseminate research to share information about what works and what does not for stem students who are both rural and low-income. 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.