Experiential pathways and networks for data science (EXPANDS) opportunities

Indiana University of Pennsylvania received a $2.0 million Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2032. The Experiential Pathways and Networks for Data Science (EXPANDS) Opportunities project will provide scholarships averaging $14,000 annually to 36 high-achieving, low-income undergraduate and graduate students pursuing Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science or Mathematics with a focus on data science. The scholarship support is designed to increase retention and degree completion rates among economically disadvantaged STEM students.

In addition to direct financial assistance, the project delivers comprehensive student support services including faculty and peer mentoring, master classes, workshops, and seminars. The initiative will establish strong scholar cohorts through structured team-based data science competitions and outreach activities that link students across IUP and partnering community college campuses. The project incorporates rigorous mixed-methods evaluation to assess program implementation and impact, with findings intended to contribute to the knowledge base on effective strategies for supporting talented, low-income students in STEM fields, particularly in data science-focused occupations including artificial intelligence, data analytics, mathematics, and computing.

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 indiana university of pennsylvania (IUP). A total of 36 scholars pursuing bachelor of science and master of science degrees in computer science or mathematics, with a focus on data science, will receive scholarships averaging $14,000 per year for up to three years. Scholars will receive faculty and peer mentoring, and the project will build strong scholar cohorts through outreach activities and structured team-based data science competitions that link students and scholars across IUP and partnering community college campuses. Additional activities for scholars will include master classes, workshops, and seminars. The overall goal of this track 2 scholarships in stem project is to increase stem degree completion of academically talented, low-income undergraduates and graduate students 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 data science-focused occupations, including artificial intelligence, data science and analytics, mathematics, computing, and other key areas of need. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator that will incorporate a mixed-methods evaluation approach designed to regularly and systematically collect quantitative and qualitative data to provide a landscape view of program implementation and impact, 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.