Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: November 21, 2025 (BD-Master's, BD-Doctoral, and all Alliance proposals: ADG, B2B, SPIO, SPRA)
Funding Amounts: Up to $5,000,000 per award (varies by project type); typical awards range from $125,000 (ADG, 18 months) to $5,000,000 (SPIO, 5 years); total program funding approx. $38 million.
Summary: Supports multi-institutional alliances and projects that increase STEM degree attainment among underrepresented minorities through evidence-based recruitment, retention, and educational research activities.
Key Information: Eligibility and maximum funding depend on project type; see details below.
Description
The U.S. National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program funds projects and alliances that aim to diversify the nation’s STEM workforce by increasing the number of STEM degrees awarded to students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields. LSAMP supports a range of project types, including alliance development, implementation, research, bridge-to-graduate programs, and STEM networking initiatives. Funded activities include collaborative, evidence-based strategies for recruitment, retention, student support, and research on broadening participation in STEM.
LSAMP projects must demonstrate innovative approaches to increase STEM baccalaureate and graduate degree attainment among LSAMP populations: Blacks and African-Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The program supports both the direct development of students and the generation and dissemination of knowledge on effective practices.
Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadline: November 21, 2025 (BD-Master's, BD-Doctoral, and all Alliance proposals: ADG, B2B, SPIO, SPRA)
- Thereafter: Third Friday in November, annually, for recurring competitions.
Funding Amount
- Estimated Total Program Funding: ~$38,000,000 per year.
- Expected Number of Awards: 45–60.
- Award Size and Duration (by project type):
- Alliance Development Grants (ADG): Up to $125,000 for 18 months.
- Bridge-to-the-Baccalaureate (B2B): Up to $2,000,000 for 5 years.
- STEM Pathways Implementation-Only (SPIO): Up to $5,000,000 for 5 years.
- STEM Pathways Research Alliance (SPRA): Up to $4,000,000 for 5 years.
- Bridge to STEM Graduate Degrees in National Priorities (BD-Master’s): Up to $597,000 for 3 years.
- Bridge to STEM Graduate Degrees in National Priorities (BD-Doctoral): Up to $1,173,000 for 3 years.
- STEM Networking Incentive and Engagement (NETWORKS): Up to $600,000 for 3 years.
Eligibility
Eligibility varies by project type:
- Alliance Development Grants (ADG):
- U.S. two- and four-year institutions of higher education (IHEs), including community colleges, accredited and with a U.S. campus.
- Alliances:
- SPIO & SPRA: U.S. two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges).
- B2B: Alliances of two-year IHEs; lead must award associate degrees in STEM or related fields. Four-year institutions may participate as partners for transfer pathways but cannot be leads.
- Bridges to STEM Graduate Degrees:
- BD-Master’s: Only Master’s Comprehensive IHEs as defined by Carnegie Classification.
- BD-Doctoral: Four-year IHEs accredited and located in the U.S.
- STEM Networking Incentives and Engagement (NETWORKS):
- U.S. two- and four-year IHEs, non-profit/non-academic organizations (e.g., museums, professional societies), and for-profit U.S.-based organizations with relevant STEM capacity.
- Projects limited to four collaborating organizations per proposal.
Principal Investigator Requirements:
- For most Alliance and BD proposals, the PI must be a cabinet-level official (e.g., Provost, Dean, VP of Academic Affairs). Faculty may serve as co-PIs.
- For NETWORKS, PIs and co-PIs may be faculty.
Other Notes:
- Only one ADG, B2B, SPIO, or SPRA proposal may be submitted by an eligible lead institution at a time.
- Networks proposals have no institutional limit.
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Required Documents: Full proposal (no preliminary proposal or letter of intent required), budget and justification, data management and sharing plan, project personnel list, letters of collaboration/support, and required data tables (for alliances and BD).
- Proposal Preparation: Follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the specific instructions in the LSAMP solicitation.
- Collaborative Proposals: For most types (except NETWORKS), must be submitted as a single proposal with subawards; separate collaborative submissions are not allowed.
Additional Information
- Cost Sharing: Not required or allowed.
- Participant Support: Direct student support is allowed only as performance-based stipends; LSAMP is not a scholarship program.
- Reporting: Annual and final reports, including progress on institutionalization and sustainability, are required.
- Special Requirements: Alliances must include at least four IHEs. BD projects must support cohorts of LSAMP alumni for graduate study.
- Review Criteria: Intellectual merit and broader impacts, plus additional LSAMP-specific criteria (see solicitation for details).
- Funding Restrictions: No direct support for pre-college activities; faculty development and release time are not allowable; dual-enrolled high school students are not eligible for direct support.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional or program-specific questions, see the LSAMP program page.