Innovation Training and Scholarships To Improve Student Retention and Graduation in STEM Fields

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This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at the University of Arkansas, a comprehensive research university. Over its five-year duration, this project will provide scholarships to 32 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry and biochemistry, physics, math and/or non-medical areas of biology. The Scholars will enter in two cohorts of 16 first-year students and receive up four years of scholarship support. Diversity of backgrounds and varied life experiences are critical to scientific innovation. This project aims to increase the number of low-income STEM graduates with specific training in innovation, which can help increase the economic diversity of STEM innovators. These innovation courses are a novel feature of this project. The courses will engage Scholars with multi-disciplinary teams and industry collaboration, thus helping them develop an understanding of real-world innovation principles and practices. Previously implemented and evidence-based retention and graduation initiatives will be used to improve Scholars’ academic success. This project has the potential to broaden participation in the next generation of innovators in STEM fields and thus have a positive economic impact on Arkansas and the nation. Results from this project will help expand the limited STEM education literature regarding the development of STEM innovators and provide insights on effective academic programs for educating students interested in becoming STEM innovators. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) recruit a diverse body of STEM Scholars; 2) improve Scholars’ innovation skills through educational experiences; 3) develop three new innovation courses that include industry collaboration; 4) enhance Scholars’ academic achievement; and 5) increase persistence to graduation using evidence-based strategies to minimize financial, social, and academic barriers. This project will provide innovation training, which is not typically found in current STEM curricula. By assessing the current and evolving environment, courses, and programs, this project will provide insights about factors that improve Scholars’ ability to innovate and will advance the body of knowledge by developing and evaluating education initiatives designed to develop Scholars’ innovation skills. This study could provide insights on effective teaching strategies and training methods for cultivating innovative STEM students. The project evaluation will use a mixed methods approach to examine the extent to which the project is progressing toward its annual benchmarks in terms of awarded scholarships, academic performance, retention, and graduation. Project results will be shared with a) the STEM education community through STEM education conferences and publications; b) policymakers and the general public through reports and briefings; and c) communities and families via reader-friendly infographics, reports, and professional communications. This project is funded by NSF’s 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 STEM workers, 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.