S-stem: advancing graduate success and workforce preparation in computer science

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Kean University $2 million on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to support graduate scholars pursuing computer science degrees with demonstrated financial need.

The award funds scholarships for 30 graduate scholars—24 pursuing master's degrees and 6 pursuing Ph.D.s in computer science—with scholarship support covering unmet need up to $20,000 per student for up to five years. Scholars participate in an integrated mentoring framework combining affinity research groups, multiple mentors, and individual development plans. The program provides faculty mentoring, professional development in research skills, career preparation, technical communication, and mentored research aligned with artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or data science. Scholars also develop individual development plans and build community through graduate cohort programming.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2032, with work performed at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. An external evaluator will conduct formative and summative evaluations to assess project outcomes and contribute to knowledge regarding effective support strategies for low-income STEM graduate students. The project aims to strengthen the computing workforce in critical national need areas while advancing degree completion for academically talented, low-income students.

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 kean university. A total of 30 scholars (24 M.S. And 6 PH.d.) pursuing M.S. And PH.d. In computer science will receive scholarships that cover unmet need up to $20,000 for graduate students for up to five years. Scholars will receive faculty mentoring and the project will build strong scholar cohorts through a graduate cohort community. Additional activities for scholars include individual development plans (idps), professional development in research skills, career preparation, technical communication, and mentored research with faculty aligned in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, or data science. The overall goal of this track 2 scholarships in stem project is to increase stem degree completion of academically talented, low-income 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 artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data science, and other high need computing areas. The project will implement an integrated mentoring framework (IMF) that combines affinity research groups (ARG), multiple mentors (MM), and individual development plans (IDP) to support graduate students in computer science. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator that will use formative and summative evaluations, 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.