Funding

NSF S-STEM

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program

Important Dates/Timeline

The following dates apply to all NSF S-STEM tracks:

• Second Monday in December: Notice of Intent due in Kuali Build to ORP for NSF S-STEM Program
• First Monday in January: Pre-Proposal Application and Materials due in Kuali Build (if required)
• Second Wednesday in February: Proposal to route in Kuali Research for NSF S-STEM
• Third Tuesday in February (Track 2, 3, and Collaborative Planning): Full Proposal Submission to NSF
• Fourth Thursday in March (Track 1): Full Proposal Submission to NSF

Description

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program provides institutions of higher education (IHEs) with funds for scholarships to encourage and enable domestic low-income students with academic ability, talent or potential and demonstrated financial need to enter the US workforce following completion of associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in S-STEM eligible disciplines. To enable social mobility of these students with academic talent, funds should be allocated to support scholars in areas of regional or national need. Funds also enable IHEs to establish a coherent ecosystem of effective evidence-based practices (curricular and co-curricular activities taking place during the academic year and over the summer and winter break months if appropriate) and to assess the effects of those practices and other factors on retention, student success, academic/career pathways, and degree attainment, including transfer, and entry into the US workforce or graduate programs in STEM. 

S-STEM awards in Tracks 1, 2 and 3 facilitate the establishment of infrastructure and collaborations to: (1) provide scholarships to domestic low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need pursuing a degree in one of the S-STEM eligible disciplines; (2) adapt and implement evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities to support NSF S-STEM scholars; (3) increase retention, student success, and graduation of these low income students in STEM; (4) test strategies for systematically supporting student academic and career pathways in STEM in ways that are congruent with the institutional context and resources; and (5) disseminate findings on what works related to the supports and interventions undertaken by the project, in particular to other institutions working to support low-income STEM students.

In addition to providing funds for scholarships, the S-STEM 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), (4) covering of academic expenses that become barriers for success for low-income students (e.g., graduation fees, standardize testing fees, graduate school application fees, etc.)

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.

Award information

• Awards for Track 1 (Institutional Capacity Building) projects may not exceed $1,000,000 total for a maximum duration of 6 years.
• Awards for Track 2 (Implementation: Single Institution) projects may not exceed $2,500,000 total for a maximum duration of 6 years.
• Awards for Track 3 (Inter-institutional Consortia) projects may not exceed $5,000,000 total for a maximum duration of 6 years.
• Collaborative Planning projects may not exceed $100,000 for a maximum duration of 1 year.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2 per deadline

1. An institution may submit up to two proposals (either as a single institution or as subawardee or a member of an inter-institutional consortia project) for a given S-STEM deadline. Multiple proposals from an institution must not overlap with regard to S-STEM eligible disciplines. See Additional Eligibility Information below for more details (see IV. Eligibility Information).
2. Institutions with a current S-STEM award should wait at least until the end of the third year of execution of their current award before submitting a new S-STEM proposal focused on students pursuing degrees in the same discipline(s).

The above restrictions do not apply to collaborative planning grant proposals.

Potential PIs are advised to contact their institutional office of research regarding processes used to select proposals for submission

Required SIUE Pre-Proposal Materials

1. Project Summary (max 3 - 5 pages) with emphasis on how the 1) increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need obtaining degrees in S-STEM eligible disciplines and entering the workforce or graduate programs in STEM; 2) improve the education of future scientists, engineers, and technicians, with a focus on low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need; and 3) generate knowledge to advance understanding of how interventions or evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities affect the success, retention, transfer, academic/career pathways, and graduation of low-income students in STEM.
2. Each PI or Co-PI must provide a 2-page C.V. with selected publications and activities that most relate to the projects conducted on this equipment.

Stronger proposals will:

• Address how the project meets the NSF S-STEM program goals and guidelines
• Which track you plan to use.
• How your program will address the following:
  • To increase the recruitment, retention, student success, and graduation (including student transfer) of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees in S-STEM eligible disciplines, and enter the STEM workforce or graduate programs in STEM.
  • To adapt, implement, and study models, effective evidence-based practices, and/or strategies that contribute to understanding how factors or existing high-quality evidence-based practices affect recruitment, retention, student success, academic/career pathways, and/or degree attainment (including student transfer) in STEM of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need.
  • To contribute to the implementation and sustainability of effective evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities (e.g., evidence-based practices; professional and workforce development activities) for low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need, pursuing undergraduate or graduate education, and entry into the workforce or graduate programs in STEM.

NSF Program Guidelines

For more information about the program, including the SSTEM Solicitation and FAQs, visit the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program website.