(FOA)-Limited Submission – NSF – Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) – NSF 20-526; March 25, 2020

 

Purpose: The National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program addresses the need for a high quality STEM workforce in STEM disciplines supported by the program and for the increased success of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program provides awards to fund scholarships and to advance the adaptation, implementation, and study of effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that support recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM.

 

Scholars must be low-income, academically talented students with unmet financial need who are enrolled in an associate, baccalaureate or graduate degree program, with a major in an S-STEM eligible discipline:

Biological sciences (except medicine and other clinical fields)

Physical sciences (including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and materials science)

Mathematical sciences

Computer and information sciences

Geosciences

Engineering

Technology areas associated with the preceding disciplines (for example, biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, information technology)

 

Note: In addition, the S-STEM program also supports a small number of conferences, workshops, and special projects that generate knowledge to better understand issues in the recruitment, retention, student success, degree attainment, and entry into the STEM workforce by low-income students. Proposals (no institutional limit) for conferences and workshops may be submitted at any time during the year. A prospective PI is encouraged to contact an S-STEM program officer prior to submitting a proposal.

 

Funding Amount/ Project Period:

·         Track 1 proposals (Institutional Capacity Building) – UK is ineligible

·         Track 2 proposals (Design and Development: Single Institution) - up to $1 million for 5 years. Single Institution projects are focused on well-documented institutional needs or concerns. The program strongly encourages proposals to build on completed needs analyses or institutional self-studies.

·         Track 3 proposals (Design and Development: Multi-Institutional Consortia) - up to $5 million for 5 years. Track 3 supports institutional collaborations that focus on a common interest or problem. For example, a collaboration among community colleges and four-year colleges or universities may focus on issues associated with the transfer of students from 2-year institutions to 4-year programs or a consortium of institutions may focus on investigating factors, such as self-efficacy or identity, associated with student success or degree attainment.

 

Link to Funding Opportunity Announcement

 

Institutional Limit:  1 per eligible college

An institution may submit one proposal(either as a single institution or as subawardee or a member of a

Collaborative Research project) from each constituent school or college that awards degrees in an eligible field.

 

Internal Competition: Please contact the Associate Dean for Research in your college for information on internal coordination procedures and deadlines within the college.

 

Agency Deadline:  March 25, 2020