Does the NSF provide scholarships directly to students?
No. NSF makes awards to Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). IHEs award the scholarships to eligible students.
Who is eligible for S-STEM Scholarships?
Eligible students are low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need. Section IV.B. Additional Eligibility Information in the solicitation provides details about eligibility requirements. As described in Section V.A.5.f, each individual project defines "academic talented" based on local needs and student population.
How is financial need defined for undergraduate students?
Section IV. B Eligibility Information in the solicitation provides details.
How is financial need defined for graduate students?
Section IV.B. Eligibility Information in the solicitation provides details.
What is the maximum amount of a scholarship per student per year?
The maximum amount of a scholarship per year is $10,000, as per legislation.
How many years may a student be supported with a scholarship?
The legislation states that, "the [NSF] Director may renew scholarships for up to 4 years (P.L. 106-313, Section110(b)). It is expected that programs ensure that students complete degrees in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
Is there a minimum GPA that students are required to attain and/or retain the scholarship?
This criterion is established by each individual project leadership team. See Section V.A.5.f. in the solicitation for more detail.
Are there any activities required for S-STEM Scholars?
Yes. The program requires that S-STEM Scholars are required to have S-STEM faculty mentors and belong to student cohorts. See Section V.A.5.g. in the solicitation. Other activities are up to the individual project teams to determine.
Can project activities support students who do not qualify for scholarships?
All students, especially low-income students, can participate in project activities, such as high quality extant curricular, workforce, and professional development activities(e.g., special seminars and public presentations, field trips, and workshops). Direct financial support can only be provided to low-income academically talented students with demonstrated need.
If non-scholarship students are involved, what are the expectations for them in terms of curriculum, support, etc.?
Projects are responsible for setting expectations, measuring implementation and outcomes, and documenting results.
Does the S-STEM program support projects whose goal is to increase the college readiness of middle and high school students?
No.
Can S-STEM funds be used to pay for summer stipends for students to participate in research? If yes, do the students getting the summer research stipends have to be low-income students?
Yes. Students must be low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need. See Section V.A.5.k. in the solicitation for more details.
Can funds be requested to support summer research or internships for students or research or internships during the year they are part of a class taken for credit? If it is a requirement for all students in majors supported?
Yes. Research and internships should be considered among the various student support options. Document action must be provided to indicate that these types of activities are required for graduation.
Must every student involved in an S-STEM project be low-income i.e. able to demonstrate financial need?
NSF S-STEM Scholars must below-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need. Other students, especially other low-income students, may benefit from participation in types of S-STEM supported activities, other than scholarships, and their outcomes should be reported in annual and final reports. See Section V.A.5.k. in the solicitation for more details.
The solicitation states in one place that the scholarships are designed for low-income academically talented students, and in another that low-income students must demonstrate academic ability or potential. Is there a difference? How is each term defined?
The NSF S-STEM program is designed to cast a wide net and provide maximum flexibility for a project to develop eligibility criteria to meet local conditions, the student population, and address local issues. NSF S-STEM Scholars must be low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need based on eligibility criteria set by the program (e.g., U.S. Citizens, low-income, demonstrated financial need) and by the project (e.g., academic ability or academic ability or potential). See Section V.A.5.f. in the solicitation.

STRAND 1: INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING

Do institutions with no previous S-STEM, CSEMS, and/or STEP support have to submit a proposal to Strand 1 - Institutional Capacity Building?
No. The PI and the leadership team make that decision based on an assessment of need and the match between the lead institution&rsuo;s capacity and the requirements of the different Strands.
In the solicitation, Strand 1 projects having a duration of 5 years must undergo a Third Year Review. Is this a mechanism to assure that any Strand 1 project should only request 4 or fewer years of funding?
No.
Funds should be requested for the implementation and investigation of high quality extant curriculum development and professional and workforce development activities and to assess project outcomes. Are Strand 1 projects expected to include all of this?
Yes. See Section II.C. of the solicitation.
In reading about Strand 1, it seems this strand is to support "new collaborative partnerships". What are some examples of collaborative partnerships that might be supported?
This strand provides funds to establish new partnerships. Partnership smight include STEM faculty and offices of institutional research, partnerships with student support services, education and social science researchers, data analytics people, business and industry, professional organizations, discipline-based education researchers, social science researchers, education faculty, institutional change researchers, community organizations.
If an institution has or has had a previous CSEMS, S-STEM, or STEP award, what should an institution consider, if it is deciding whether to submit a proposal to Strand 1 - Institutional Capacity Building or Strand 2 Design and Development - Type 1 Single Institution?
Strand 1 is for institutions that have limited experience with designing and conducting activities described in Strand 2. If the previous CSEMS, S-STEM, or STEP award enhanced or established academic and/or student support activities, the PI team is encouraged to submit a proposal to Strand 2 - Type 1 Single Institution or strongly justify why the PI team is submitting to Strand 1 after having a previous CSEMS, S-STEM, or STEP award.
Is a Strand 1 project limited to a three-person team?
No.

STRAND 2: DESIGN AND Development

Can a Strand 2 proposal be submitted if the institution has never had an S-STEM, STEP, CSEMS, or other NSF award?
Yes.
For the projects submitted for Strand 2 Design and Development - Type 2 Multi-Institutional Consortia: how should the scholarships be divided among institutions?
Decisions are up to the project team, and allocation of scholarships should be based on the size, scope, and focus of the project.
What are the expectations for multi-institutional proposals of up 5 million dollars?
It is important that the level of funding reflect the number of institutions involved, the number of scholarships awarded, and the complexity of implementing a common set of activities and the research involved.

STRANDS: GENERAL QUESTIONS

If a 4-year institution is collaborating with a community college do they need to submit as a consortia to Strand 2, Type 2 or can they submit a proposal to Strand 2, Type 1?
The solicitation states that if a proposed project has a common interest in student transfer or articulation the PI team is encouraged to submit to the Design and Development, Type 2: Multi-Institutional Consortia. Depending of the goals of the project, a proposal could be submitted to either type.
Can institutions submit a collaborative proposal to Strand 1 or Strand 2, Type 1?
Yes, per conditions describe in the GPG, Chapter II. Section D.5.
Can an institution apply to more than one strand in the same year?
No.
What are the most important differences in project activities the program expects to see between successful Institutional Capacity Building proposals and Design and Development Type I proposals?
The difference is in the size, scope, and focus of the effort. The limiting factor is the capacity of the institution to design, conduct, and ensure the success of Design and Development projects.

PROGRAM GOALS AND INTENTIONS

Is the goal of this program to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented groups obtaining STEM degrees?
Scholarships are to be offered to all eligible low income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need. The program seeks to achieve broader impact as described in the solicitation and the GPG. The program encourages projects to seek applications from members of underrepresented groups in STEM. See Section V.A.5.f in the solicitation.
What is the purpose of having an administrator? Can this administrator be from Institutional Advancement? Does this person have to have a STEM degree? STEM experience?
An administrator contributes expertise needed to address issues that occur at the level of the institution and across departmental boundaries. The administrator does not have to have a STEM degree. As stated in the solicitation, the administrator's position at the institution should include responsibilities for STEM students. The expertise and experience of the administrator should contribute to the intellectual merit of the project per the NSF merit review criteria.
How many proposals of each type are expected to be awarded this year?
Recommendations for awards per strand will be based on the quality of proposals submitted to each of the strands and the availability of funds.
What types of conferences and workshops might be funded and what would constitute high-quality submission?
Ideas for conferences and workshops could be based on knowledge about retention and degree attainment in STEM, challenges facing the success of low-income students, need to build the capacity of the S-STEM community, and gaps in the literature. High-quality submissions meet the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact criteria.
If a PI has an idea for a new Design and Development project focused on recruitment and retention how does the PI decide whether to submit a proposal to IUSE or S-STEM?
The S-STEM program supports efforts to provide scholarships for low-income academically talented students with demonstrated need and implementation and investigation of high quality extant curriculum, workforce and professional development materials and practices (e.g., effective academic and student support services). Proposals seeking funds to create new curriculum, or engage in workforce and professional development activities should be submitted to IUSE:EHR.
What is more important: dissemination within the institution or external to the institution?
Both are important.

PROPOSAL/SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

What are the specific NSF expectations for intellectual merit in each strand of this solicitation?
Intellectual merit is defined in the solicitation and Grant Proposal Guide.
When providing Results from Prior Support, should student major information be provided?
Information about student majors should be considered as part of the description of any prior S-STEM, CSESM, and/or STEP awards. See Section V.A.5.a. of the solicitation for additional details.
What happens if supplementary documentation exceeds 10 pages?
The proposal will be returned without review. See section V.A.11. of the solicitation.
Will activities and lessons learned have to be reported on even if the prior award was a long time ago and many of the PIs have gone?
Principal investigators submitting proposals should endeavor to comply with requirements in the solicitation and if information is not available so state.
From reading the program solicitation, it seems that each team will consist of exactly three members a faculty member who is the PI, an administrator, and are searcher. Are more PIs possible?
The PI team may exceed 3 but it must have at least one of each of these three groups.
May faculty members other than the PI and Co-PIs still receive funds for mentoring?
Faculty may receive funds for mentoring consistent with the GPG guidelines for NSF proposal budgets.
May faculty members be paid a small stipend for developing curriculum and mentoring students? What if an institution's policy is to allow faculty members to receive additional compensation for such activities?
Faculty can receive stipends for project activities consistent with conditions described in the NSF GPG. The program does NOT support the creation or development of new curriculum materials and practices.
If a PI has a current grant, can he/she apply to this program if there are enough students for both grants? Since a PI can get more funds for curriculum and program development and project management under this new solicitation, can those funds be used to work on both projects?
Institutions and PIs with current S-STEM awards may apply to this program. The program does NOT support the creation or development of new curriculum materials and practices. Proposers must provide a strong justification for the implementation/adaptation and investigation of high quality extant curriculum, workforces and professional development activities. The proposal must provide the required information on the results of the current S-STEM awards. Moreover, in the annual reporting process multiple awards should be reported separately.
If a grant is planned for 5 years, do funds need to be included in the budget for a third year review? If so, how much is recommended? Is it likely that there view will be in the DC area? Held virtually?
Funds should be included for the PI or another member of the leadership team to attend meetings of grantees and other researchers that may be organized by community stakeholders. See Section V.8 of the solicitation. More details regarding format and location will be provided at a later dates.
If an Honors College in a University/College awards its own degrees then may an Honors College submit its own proposal even though other departments in the same institution are submitting a proposal?
No.

PROJECT ROLES

If a PI doesn't have access to an institutional researcher or know any social science researchers, is there a list of recommended people?
Check with the institution's Office of Institutional Research, relevant professional societies, and NSF-supported resource efforts, such as STEM Central and ATE Central. See https://stem-central.net and https://atecentral.net.
Can the project evaluator be a PI?
No. The evaluation must be conducted by an independent third party.
In the context of the S-STEM program, what are the different roles envisioned for the researcher and the evaluator?
The researcher is responsible for designing and conducting a study examining specific research question(s). The evaluator is responsible for assessing the implementation of project activities and documenting the success of the project in relation to its goals and expected outcomes.
If the Director of Admissions will be co-PI and is on a 12-month contract, does the time he/she will spend on the S-STEM project need to be included in the Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources?
Yes.
Must a specific evaluator be selected prior to submitting the proposal (i.e. named in the proposal)?
Yes. It has been found that bringing in an evaluator at the initial stages of proposal development ensures that the evaluation is aligned with project activities, goals, and objectives and can be fine-tuned for reporting requirements.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Does the project have to include both a study and project evaluation?
Yes, the study is designed to examine and address a research question that is of importance to the project and the field. The evaluation assesses the quality of study design, implementation, analyses, and interpretation. In addition, the evaluation must assess the implementation of activities and outcomes (e.g., scholars and students; faculty, if there is faculty development; institutional change that supports sustainability of academic and student support). The research AND the evaluation will provide evidence of the impact of the project.
Does every S-STEM project have to include scholarship recipient mentoring by STEM faculty members or may other alternatives, such as mentoring by more senior STEM majors, be implemented instead?
Mentors must be faculty.
Must every proposal submitted demonstrate established working connections with local/regional business and industry to satisfy the "workforce" requirement?
Collaborations with local/regional business and industry, if appropriate, are one of the ways that a project can help graduates be prepared to enter the STEM workforce.
We're planning to have students present the results of their research at conferences and publish journal articles. Is this sufficient for a dissemination plan?
No.
Do projects have to be 5-years in duration?
No. The duration of the project is based on the focus, scope and scale of the proposed effort. See V.8. Budget, Budget Justification, and Allowable Costs.

BUDGET

Can funds be used to pay for refreshments at cohort events like seminars and lectures?
No. See GPG Chapter 2, Section 2 (g) (xii) (b) for details. See https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=GPG
Can faculty members receive a summer stipend for work related to an S-STEM award?
Yes, per the GPG. See https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=GPG.
Can funds support faculty members who are providing research opportunities for students? Can funds be used to pay for equipment and supplies used by students conducting research?
The non-scholarship portion of the budget can be used for these purposes. However the PIs must explain how such expenditures are aligned with the goals of the S-STEM program as described in the solicitation.
What types of expenditures are allowed in the 40% of grant funding not going to student scholarships? What are some examples of expenditures that are not allowed?
See the solicitation for examples of the some of the types of student support activities that are known to improve student success, retention, degree completion, and successful contribution to the STEM workforce.

MISCELLANEOUS DEFINITIONS AND INFORMATION

The solicitation mentions in the Dissemination section that the "proposal should include a plan to report on the project to appropriate audiences." What would be examples of the types of report and audience that NSF would like to see?
At a minimum the project must address requirements stated in the GPG II.C.2g and II.C.2j.
Where are the instructions for completing the Data Management Plan? Are there Directorate-specific requirements for the Data Management plan?
See the GPG II.C.2.j, and https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmpdocs/ehr.pdf.
Please define consortia? Is a consortium the same as a collaborative?
For the purposes of this solicitation, a consortium is the same as a collaborative.
What is a "Third Year Review", and why is it required for 5 year projects?
The third year review will be used to determine if the project is on track to meet its goals and to obtain information on project activities. The review is seen as part of a formative process to improve the project.
Will the "Third Year Review" requirement apply to projects that request no-cost extensions resulting in project durations of 5 years or longer?
This will be determined based on the project circumstances and be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
The solicitation states that the broad aim of the S-STEM program is to support all students who meet both program and institutional eligibility requirements. What should a project consider when developing eligibility requirements?
Several eligibility requirements are mandatory and are listed in the solicitation under both Section IV Eligibility Information and Section V.A.5.f. Student Selection Process and Criteria. Scholarship recipients must meet the requirements for:
- Citizenship,
- Major in an S-STEM program designated STEM discipline,
- Academic talent/potential, which is set by the project, and
- Financial need, as defined by the US Department of Education FAFSA and GAANN.
In addition, projects may have and should justify other selection criteria that reflect the project's goals and local/national needs. Multiple indicators may be appropriate in gauging academic talent/potential. Selection criteria must be flexible enough to accommodate applicants who come from diverse backgrounds and with diverse career goals. In keeping with NSF's Broader Impacts Criteria, the program encourages projects to seek applications from members of under-served and underrepresented groups in STEM (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, geographic areas, first generation, etc.)
Strand 1 specifies using data analytics. What are some examples of this?
See, for example, Enhancing Teaching and Learning Through Educational Data Mining and Learning Analytics, U.S. Department of Education, (October 2012).
Proposers are strongly encouraged, but not required, to implement and adapt evidence-based practices and student supports that have been developed and or promoted by NSF awardees and to utilize research in undergraduate or graduate STEM education conducted by NSF supported educational social science or discipline-based education researchers." Which part of this sentence does the "not required" refer to?
The program encourages proposers to implement and adapt evidence-based practices and student support activities have been developed by NSF grantees or to use findings from research that was funded by the NSF.
What is needed to have expertise in data analytics? What is the litmus test?
It is the responsibility of the PI team to investigate the expertise and experience of a person or firm that claims to have the capability to use and conduct data analytic studies.
In Strand 2, Type 2 - Multi-Institutional Consortia, what are possible indicators of "strong technical assistance infrastructure and processes to support and manage project activities, and across institutions involved in the effort"?
The proposal will describe a plan (a) to coordinate project activities and to award scholarships; (b) to provide faculty professional development; and (c) maintain technical assistance throughout the duration of the project to ensure successful implementation and investigation of a common set of on implementing and investigating a common set of activities.
Where is information on FAFSA and GAANN located?
Proposers should work with the Office of Financial Aid at the institution. Also see the U.S. Department of Education website. http://www.ed.gov.