Funding, Grants & Awards

NSF Begins Awarding STEM Ed Grants for Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 01/16/18

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun issuing its first awards through its new grant program, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Launched last year, the program is designed to improve STEM education, build capacity and improve graduation rates at HSIs. This year's awards will go to seven different conferences working to gather stakeholder input on STEM education at HSIs, according to information released by NSF. Those conferences, along with each grant's principle investigator and institution, include:

• PROMISE: Providing Resources and Opportunities for Minorities in STEM Education, Nora Garza of Laredo Community College;
• Catalyzing Progress in Undergraduate STEM Education with Insights from Midwestern HSIs, Laura Sanders at Northeastern Illinois University;
• Stakeholder Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education at HSIs, William Kitch of Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station;
• Dissecting the STEM Education Ecosystem in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs): Regional Insights from Southern California, Yusheng Liu, California State University, Fullerton;
• Co-Designing an Engineering Education Research Agenda, Meagan Kendall, University of Texas at El Paso; Alexandra Strong, Franklin W. Olin College; Ines Basalo, University of Miami;
• Urbano-Increasing Access and Success in Urban Stem Programs, Jorge Gonzalez, City College of New York; and
• Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems, Rodolfo J. Romañach, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez.

The program is now accepting grant proposals in the areas of building capacity and HSIs new to NSF. Projects in three areas will be supported:

• Critical Transitions will encompass projects designed to help Hispanic students through important educational transitions, such as the move from lower- to upper-division coursework;
• Cross-Sector Partnerships will include projects that aim to develop partnerships that will build faculty capacity and offer student opportunities in STEM research and education; and
• Research on Broadening Participation in STEM will focus on projects that improve retention and graduation of students pursuing STEM degrees at HSIs.

"For decades, NSF has worked to provide members of communities traditionally underserved in STEM with access to STEM education and opportunities in STEM careers," said Jim Lewis, acting NSF assistant director for education and human resources, in a prepared statement. "Through our HSI Program, NSF aims to identify the most critical challenges and important opportunities for learners in undergraduate STEM education at HSIs."

The deadline for grant proposals is March 6. More information is available at nsf.gov.