From enrollment to graduation: strengthening critical pipelines in engineering and construction management

Norwich University received a $2.0 million project grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2031. The project will provide scholarships averaging $15,000 annually to 24 high-achieving, low-income undergraduate scholars pursuing bachelor's degrees in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, interdisciplinary engineering, and construction management. Scholars will receive up to five years of financial support coupled with comprehensive student support services including faculty and peer mentoring, cohort-building activities through curricular and co-curricular engagement, and orientation and outreach programming designed to enhance retention and degree completion rates.

The project directly addresses the national need for an expanded STEM workforce by supporting talented low-income students in critical engineering and construction management fields essential to both military and civilian sectors. An independent evaluator will conduct formative and summative evaluation activities to assess project outcomes and contribute to the evidence base regarding effective strategies for supporting low-income STEM students. The comprehensive support model emphasizes scholar cohesion and academic persistence to increase degree completion rates among economically disadvantaged STEM undergraduates at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont.

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 norwich university. A total of 24 scholars pursuing bachelor of science degrees in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, interdisciplinary engineering, and construction management will receive scholarships averaging $15,000 for up to five years. Scholars will receive faculty and peer mentoring, and the project will build strong scholar cohorts through curricular and CO-curricular activities. Additional activities for scholars include orientation activities and outreach activities. 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 workforce in both military and civilian sectors and other key areas of need. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator who will lead a formative and summative evaluation process, 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.