Louis Stokes STEM Pathways and Research Alliance: North Star STEM Alliance (NSSA)

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The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce and supports the production of scholarly research in STEM broadening participation. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: Blacks and African Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of highly competitive students motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM. For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. The North Star STEM Alliance (NSSA) consists of four University of Minnesota campuses (Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris and Rochester); seven Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (Bemidji State, Century College, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Metropolitan State, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, St. Cloud State College), two tribal colleges (White Earth Tribal and Community College and Red Lake Nation College) and three private colleges (Augsburg, Carleton, and St. Olaf). Community partners include the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota High Tech Association, and the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Over the five-year period, the alliance will increase STEM B. S. degrees from 700 in 2022 to 1,000 annually by 2028 by providing financial support (stipends) for domestic and international research experiences, internships, supplemental instruction and other student support services and alliances research conferences as evidence-based high impact practices in recruitment and retention. The social science research project examines the transition of STEM graduates from college, focusing particularly on psychosocial factors during points of transition associated with career pathways. The combination of prospective and retrospective data will be produced about how to help orient students beyond the bachelor’s degree and toward the next steps in their educational and career pathways. The alliance will broadly disseminate results from project evaluation activities and the NSSA study via conferences such as American Educational Research Association (AERA), International Society for the Learning Sciences among other professional associations.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.