Mentoring support to accelerate retention and improve outcomes in science scholarship program

Nevada State University received a $1.997 million Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2031, to support the Mentoring Support to Accelerate Retention and Improve Outcomes in Science Scholarship Program. The award funds scholarships averaging $7,374 annually for up to 60 low-income, high-achieving undergraduate scholars pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, environmental science, and psychology. In addition to direct financial support, the project delivers comprehensive student support services including faculty and peer mentoring, cohort-building activities through block scheduling, professional development programming, social engagement activities, orientation programming, and research and internship opportunities designed to improve retention and degree completion rates.

The project directly addresses the national priority to grow the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce by supporting talented low-income students with demonstrated financial need. An independent evaluator will assess project effectiveness and student outcomes, with findings contributing to the knowledge base on evidence-based strategies for supporting low-income STEM students. By strengthening regional STEM workforce development and improving academic success pathways for disadvantaged populations, the project aligns with the NSF's broader mission to enhance the vitality and competitiveness of the nation's STEM education enterprise.

Abstract

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 nevada state university. A total of 60 scholars pursuing bachelor's degrees in biology, chemistry, environmental science, and psychology will receive scholarships averaging $7,374 for up to five years. Scholars will receive faculty and peer mentoring and the project will build strong scholar cohorts through block classes, professional and social activities, and initial orientation programming. Additional activities for scholars include research/internship opportunities. The overall goal of this track 2 scholarships in stem project is to increase stem degree completion of academically talented, low-income undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. There is a significant national need to grow the stem workforce and nurture key talent that will ensure economic competitiveness and provide domestic leadership across critical sectors. This project directly speaks to this need by supporting stem student success, which will strengthen the regional stem workforce. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator who will monitor project effectiveness and student success, and the data generated will contribute to the knowledge base regarding effective strategies to support talented, low-income students in stem. This project is funded by NSF's scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of academically talented, low-income 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.