NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

 The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program solicitation has been revised for the FY2023 competition. Prospective Principal Investigators are encouraged to read the solicitation carefully.

The solicitation has been updated to align with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law. 117-167). Section 10393 of this Act authorizes the Director to make changes in the maximum scholarship amount and length of scholarship support for low-income students in STEM fields.

The Intel Corporation has been added as a collaborating partner in this program. For additional information, please refer to Dear Colleague Letter: Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education (NSF 22-120).

Changes and important information affecting Track 1 proposals:

• The deadline for Track 1 proposals has been moved to March 29, 2023.
• The maximum award amount has been increased to up to $1,000,000 for up to 6 years.
• The eligibility requirement remains in place that Track 1 proposing institutions have not received an S-STEM or STEP award in the past.

Changes and important information affecting Track 2 proposals:

• The maximum award amount has been increased to up to $2,500,000 for up to 6 years.

Changes and important information affecting All proposals:

• Annual scholarship amount increase: The allowable maximum scholarship amount has been increased to up to $15,000 per year for undergraduate students (pursuing associate or bachelor's degrees in eligible disciplines) and up to $20,000 per year for graduate students (pursuing masters or Ph.Ds. degrees in eligible disciplines).
• Scholarship duration: The maximum duration of an individual student's scholarship has been increased to 5 years per degree being pursued.
• Scholarship calculation: The requirement that an S-STEM scholarship must meet the unmet need of the students, up to the maximum allowable amount, ($15,000 for undergraduate students and $20,000 for graduate students) remains in place. Proposers should utilize the formula explained in section V.A.5.b to determine the scholarship amount. S-STEM remains a last-dollar scholarship.
• Involvement of Financial Aid Offices: The requirement remains that the proposing institution's Office of Financial Aid must be involved in determining the institution's definition of low-income, the scholar's low-income eligibility, and the scholarship amounts.
• Viability of the program: The requirement remains in place that proposers should demonstrate that their institution has historically enrolled comparable numbers of eligible low-income students in the disciplines/degrees proposed at the time of proposal submission.

For more information, follow the link here.