Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: March 2, 2027 (Full proposals) | Rolling (Planning and conference proposals, with program officer consultation)
Funding Amounts: $1,000,000–$5,000,000 award range; track ceilings of $2,000,000 or $5,000,000 for up to 6 years
Summary: Supports institutional scholarships and evidence-based student supports to improve low-income students’ STEM degree attainment and career pathways.
Key Information: Only accredited two- and four-year institutions of higher education with a U.S. campus may apply.
Description
The S-STEM program, administered by NSF’s Directorate for STEM Education, helps academically talented, domestic low-income students with unmet financial need complete eligible STEM degrees and pursue successful careers. Awards fund both scholarships and evidence-based curricular and co-curricular supports addressing recruitment, retention, transfer, student success, graduation, and academic or career pathways.
Projects must analyze the characteristics and academic needs of their intended student population and connect proposed supports to those needs. NSF particularly values degree attainment in fields addressing critical U.S. workforce needs. Institutional capacity-building and implementation projects emphasize evaluation and dissemination, while inter-institutional consortia also conduct educational or social science research on adapting and scaling effective practices.
