FOA-Limited Submission – NSF – Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) – NSF 21-550; April 7, 2021

 

Purpose: The National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program aims to increase the number of low-income students who graduate and contribute to the American innovation economy with their STEM knowledge. Recognizing that financial aid alone cannot increase retention and graduation in STEM, the program provides awards to Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to fund scholarships and to adapt, implement, and study effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that support recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM.

 

Recognizing that scholarships alone cannot address low retention and graduation rates in STEM among low-income students, the program also supports the implementation and testing of an ensemble of existing effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities featuring: (1) close involvement of faculty in S-STEM eligible disciplines, (2) student mentoring, (3) provisions and adaptation of activities that support student success, including the formation of student cohorts and other effective practices (e.g., student support services; professional and workforce development activities).

 

Proposals with a strong focus on workforce development are encouraged to partner with business, industry, local community organizations, national labs, or other federal or state government organizations to provide appropriate opportunities to Scholars, including but not limited to internships, research and service learning activities and other opportunities above and beyond the financial support provided through scholarships.

 

Proposals with a strong focus on the transfer or advancement of students from one educational level to another should collaborate with appropriate institutional partners. For example, proposals focused on the transfer of students from 2-year institutions to 4-year institutions should include faculty and administrators from 2-year institutions and 4-year institutions or proposals focusing on the advancement of undergraduate students to graduate programs should include institutions, administrators and Co-PIs representing both the undergraduate programs and institutions with graduate programs.

 

Scholars must be domestic low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated unmet financial need who are enrolled in an associate, baccalaureate or graduate degree program in an S-STEM eligible discipline. Proposers must provide an analysis that articulates the population of students they are trying to serve. This analysis must include the predicted number of students who meet all the eligibility requirements at the time of proposal submission as a proxy measure of the pool of students that would qualify in the future if the proposal is awarded. This number may be based on current and/or historical data about students who are currently pursuing degrees in the STEM disciplines targeted by the proposal.

 

S-STEM Eligible Degree Programs

• Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Engineering, and Associate of Applied Science
• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Applied Science
• Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Engineering
• Doctoral

 

S-STEM Eligible Disciplines

• 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 fields associated with the disciplines above (e.g., biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, information technology)

 

The S-STEM program solicitation has been revised for the FY 2021. Specific tracks include:

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

·        Track 2 proposals (Implementation: Single Institution) - focus on well-documented institutional needs or concerns. The program strongly encourages proposals to build on completed needs analyses or institutional self-studies. Track 2 proposals may also include a focus on student transfer or progression to graduate school. In this case, if needed, two or more institutions could partner.

·        Track 3 proposals (Inter-institutional Consortia) – support 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.

·        Collaborative Planning grants – intended to help a collection of institutions plan for a future Track 3 proposal.

 

Eligibility: Please see program solicitation for PI eligibility requirements.

 

Funding Amount/ Project Period: Track 2 – up to $1,500,000 total costs for 6 years; Track 3 – up to $5 million total costs for up to 6 years; Collaborative Planning grants – up to $150,000 total costs for up to two years.

 

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 an Inter-institutional Consortia project) from each constituent school or college that awards degrees in an S-STEM eligible discipline.

 

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

 

Agency Deadline:  April 7, 2021