NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM)

Overview

The S-STEM program provides IHEs with funds for scholarships to support academically talented, domestic low-income students with demonstrated financial need to enter the US workforce following completion of associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in S-STEM eligible disciplines. Funds also enable IHEs to establish and assess evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities and supports. S-STEM scholarship awards facilitate the establishment of infrastructure and collaborations to: (1) provide scholarships to academically promising, domestic low-income students with demonstrated financial need pursuing a degree in an eligible S-STEM eligible discipline; (2) adapt and implement evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities to support SSTEM scholars in ways that align with institutional context and available resources, taking into account scholars' strengths, needs, and realities; (3) increase retention, student success, and graduation of these NSF S-STEM scholars in STEM; and (4) disseminate effective outcomes, supports and interventions undertaken by the project.

Description of Program 
Track 1 (Institutional Capacity Building) The aim of Track 1 is to build capacity and develop infrastructure to support low-income STEM students at institutions that have not had a recent award from the S-STEM program. Institutions without active S-STEM or STEP funding in the 5 years prior to the submission deadline may submit to this track. The entire institution is ineligible if any program, department, or school within the institution has had an active STEP or S-STEM award in the past 5 years. Track 1 proposals may include a focus on student transfer or progression to graduate school for its scholars' benchmark of success.

Track 2 (Implementation Projects) Any IHE (as described under the eligibility section) can submit a Track 2 proposal, regardless of prior S-STEM or STEP awards.

Track 3 (Inter-institutional Consortia) Track 3 projects support multi-institutional collaborations that focus on a common interest or challenge. Interinstitutional Consortia projects represent varied collaborations, including partnerships between 2-year colleges and 4- year colleges and universities, between 4-year colleges and graduate programs, or between comparable institutions looking to implement and study parallel interventions. For example, a collaboration among community colleges and four-year institutions may focus on issues associated with successful transfer of low-income students from 2-year institutions to 4-year programs. In another example, a multi-institutional collaboration may focus on factors that contribute to the success or degree attainment of domestic, low-income students in different types of institutions.

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 in the leadership team; likewise, proposals focusing on the advancement of undergraduate students at predominately undergraduate institutions to graduate programs should include institutions, administrators, and Co-PIs representing both the undergraduate programs and the receiving graduate programs.

Planning Proposals Planning proposals may be submitted at any time following consultation with and consent of an S-STEM Program Officer. Planning Proposals should allow institutions to gather data, assess the needs of low-income students in the local context, design or pilot student support mechanisms, create or strengthen partnerships, or otherwise prepare for a Track 1, 2, or 3 submission. 

Conferences Proposals for conferences addressing important needs within the S-STEM community may be submitted at any time following consultation with an S-STEM program officer. Conference proposals that address effective student supports for low-income STEM students, professional development of S-STEM project personnel, and research collaborations of educational researchers and disciplinary scientists are especially encouraged.

Common Elements of Track 1, Track 2 and Track 3 proposals 
The following principles and expectations apply to submissions to Track 1 (Institutional Capacity Building), Track 2 (Implementation Projects), and Track 3 (Inter-institutional Consortia). 

• Scholar Eligibility and Selection Criteria
• Evidence-based, context-specific interventions must be linked to low-income student needs
• Scholar Cohorts and Faculty Mentoring
• Involvement of Office of Financial Aid and Other Campus Partners
• Determination of Scholarship Amounts
• Analysis of Prospective Scholar Pool
• Additional participation requirements in other project activities
• Knowledge Generation and Dissemination
• Student data collection

Limitation: ASU may submit only two (2) applications to the sponsoring organization.
An institution may submit up to two proposals (either as a single institution or as a subawardee or a member of an inter-institutional consortia project (lead or co-lead) for a given S-STEM deadline.

[See Important Information And Revision Notes here.] The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program solicitation has been revised for the FY2025 competition. Prospective Principal Investigators are encouraged to read the solicitation carefully.

Awards for Track 1 (Institutional Capacity Building) projects may not exceed $2,000,000 total for a maximum duration of 6 years. 
Awards for Track 2 (Implementation Projects) projects may not exceed $2,000,000 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.