Support for Academically Talented STEM Scholars at the University of North Dakota

该项目通过帮助有经济需求的高成就、低收入的STEM本科生在北达科他州大学获得STEM学位，满足了国家对高素质STEM劳动力的需求。该项目为期五年，将为31名攻读工程、化学、生物或航空学士学位的学生提供一至四年的奖学金。通过减少或消除未支付的教育费用，奖学金可以使学者花更多的时间在学习上，并参与与他们长期职业兴趣相关的研究项目和实习等经验。该项目旨在创造一个促进学生学业和职业成功的专业发展环境，使学者毕业时具备成为成功的STEM专业人员或获得高级STEM学位所需的技能。因此，学者们将沉浸在课外培训活动中，以促进学习和磨练解决问题的能力。此外，学者将有机会获得学术支持服务，并与行业代表或职业发展专家一起参加研讨会。项目研究和评估的结果将有助于建立有关农村州有效招聘、保留和毕业STEM本科生的知识库。该项目解决了北达科他州和国家保留STEM本科生的优先事项，从而培养能够为国家、地区和国家的安全、技术发展和经济健康做出贡献的科学素养公民。该项目的成果将有助于建立以下方面的知识库：(1)为农村四年制大学的STEM项目招收和留住来自低收入和农村背景的有学术天赋的学生的有效策略；(2)促进学生坚持和保留STEM学科的学术和专业发展活动；(3)影响低收入家庭学生stem相关技能发展和自信心的因素；(4)这群学生学习STEM的动机；(5)影响STEM学生选择非STEM职业的因素。北达科他州的许多低收入家庭学生都是美洲原住民后裔，预计该项目将引出以证据为基础的策略，以留住这群学生并取得成功。此外，该项目有可能扩大农村学生和美国原住民在STEM领域的参与。该项目由美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来科学家、工程师和技术人员的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project contributes to the national need for a highly-qualified STEM workforce by helping high-achieving, low-income STEM undergraduates with demonstrated financial need earn a STEM degree at the University of North Dakota. Over its five-year duration, this project will provide one- to four-year scholarships to 31 students pursuing bachelor's degrees engineering, chemistry, biology, or aviation. By reducing or eliminating unmet educational costs, the scholarships can enable the Scholars to spend more time on their studies, as well as engage in experiences such as research projects and internships that are relevant to their long-term career interests. This project aims to create a professional development environment that promotes students' academic and professional success, so that the Scholars graduate with the skills needed to be successful STEM professionals or to obtain advanced STEM degrees. Consequently, the Scholars will be immersed in co-curricular training activities to promote learning and hone problem-solving skills. In addition, scholars will have access to academic support services and workshops with industry representatives or experts in career development. Results of project research and evaluation will contribute to the knowledge base about effective recruitment, retention, and graduation of undergraduate STEM students in rural states.This project addresses the priority of North Dakota and the nation to retain undergraduates in STEM, thus producing scientifically literate citizens who can contribute to the security, technology development, and economic health of the state, the region, and the nation. The outcomes of the project will contribute to the knowledge base about: (1) effective strategies for recruitment and retention of academically talented students from low-income and rural backgrounds to a STEM program at a rural four-year institution; (2) academic and professional development activities that promote student persistence and retention in STEM disciplines; (3) factors influencing STEM-related skill development and self-confidence for students from low-income backgrounds; (4) motivations for this group of students to study STEM; and (5) factors influencing STEM students' decision to pursue non-STEM careers. Many low-income students in North Dakota are of Native American descent, and it is expected that this project will elicit evidence-based strategies for retention and success of this group of students. In addition, this project has the potential to broaden participation of rural students and Native Americans in STEM fields. This project is funded by the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future scientists, engineers, and technicians, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.