NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program | 22 527

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) Program

1) What is the NSF S-STEM Program?

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program is a discretionary grant program from the National Science Foundation that funds colleges and universities to provide scholarships to low-income students in eligible STEM fields. It also supports institutions in improving academic and student-support systems that help those students persist, transfer when applicable (especially from 2-year to 4-year pathways), and graduate.

2) Who receives the funding: students or institutions?

Funding is awarded to institutions of higher education (IHEs), not directly to individual students. Institutions use the award to provide scholarships and to implement and study evidence-based student success strategies tied to recruitment, retention, career/academic planning, transfer success (where relevant), and completion.

3) What is the main goal of S-STEM?

The central purpose is workforce and opportunity focused: increasing the number of low-income domestic students who earn degrees in high-value STEM (or STEM-related) fields and then contribute to the US innovation economy. A key idea in the program is that scholarships alone are not enough; student success supports are expected alongside financial aid.

4) Which students can be supported by scholarships under an S-STEM project?

Scholarship recipients must be domestic students who are low-income, demonstrate unmet financial need, and show academic ability, talent, or potential. Students may be at the associate, bachelors, or graduate level as long as their degree is in an eligible S-STEM discipline.

5) What does "low-income" and "unmet financial need" mean in this program?

The opportunity description states that scholarship recipients must be low-income and must demonstrate unmet financial need. The specific method for determining low-income status or unmet need is not defined in the provided information, but institutions are expected to document and describe the student population they intend to serve and how eligibility will be established.

6) What kinds of degrees can S-STEM support?

S-STEM eligible degree programs include associate degrees (AA, AS, AE, AAS), undergraduate degrees (BA, BS, BE, BAS), graduate degrees (MA, MS, ME), and doctoral programs, provided the discipline itself is eligible under S-STEM rules.

7) Which disciplines are eligible under S-STEM?

Eligibility generally tracks the disciplines in which NSF funds research. Under the revised solicitation described, eligibility expands to most disciplinary areas where NSF funds research, as long as the proposing institution can justify national or regional workforce demand for graduates in those fields.

8) Are there any disciplines or programs that are explicitly ineligible?

Yes. Clinical degree programs are ineligible, including medicine, nursing, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, and similar programs that NSF does not fund as research disciplines. Business programs are also excluded, including undergraduate business administration degrees (BBA, BSBA, or similar), as well as MBA and doctoral business administration degrees.

9) Are technology-focused programs eligible (for example, IT or engineering technology)?

Yes, the program explicitly includes technology fields associated with NSF-eligible STEM disciplines, such as biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, and information technology, when they align with program rules and the workforce rationale.

10) What is meant by a "workforce demand" justification?

Under the revised solicitation, institutions must make a convincing case that the targeted discipline or program area represents a critical workforce need nationally or in the institution's region. The program emphasizes that proposers should provide a justification rather than simply assert that demand exists.

11) Does S-STEM only fund scholarships, or are other activities required?

S-STEM does not treat scholarships as a stand-alone solution. Awards support both scholarship funding and the adaptation, implementation, and study of evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes. These strategies can be curricular (connected to courses and instruction) and co-curricular (outside standard coursework).

12) What kinds of student success strategies does S-STEM emphasize?

The opportunity description highlights strategies that strengthen recruitment, retention, successful transfer (especially 2-year to 4-year pathways), academic and career planning, and on-time or near on-time completion. Projects are expected to connect these supports to the needs of the target student population.

13) Can S-STEM projects support transfer pathways from 2-year to 4-year institutions?

Yes. Successful transfer is specifically emphasized, particularly for projects involving 2-year to 4-year pathways, and S-STEM encourages collaboration and partnerships that can strengthen these pathways.

14) What kinds of partnerships are encouraged under S-STEM?

S-STEM encourages collaboration across institutions (including 2-year and 4-year partnerships), cross-campus teams of faculty and administrators, and involvement from researchers who study student success from institutional, educational, behavioral, or social science perspectives. External partnerships with employers and community stakeholders are also encouraged, including business and industry, local community organizations, national laboratories, and other federal, state, or local government entities when appropriate.

15) Why does S-STEM focus so strongly on partnerships with employers and community stakeholders?

The goal is to strengthen career pathways, improve alignment between education and workforce needs, and generate evidence about which supports most effectively help low-income students succeed in STEM and move into strong labor-market opportunities after graduation.

16) What kinds of STEM areas does NSF signal special interest in?

NSF signals particular interest in proposals that prepare students for fields considered critical to the nation, especially interdisciplinary or convergent areas. Examples listed include quantum computing and quantum science, robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer science, data science, and computational science applied to other frontier STEM areas, along with other technology and STEM fields facing urgent domestic workforce shortages.

17) Do projects have to focus on one of the highlighted "critical" fields?

The opportunity indicates NSF has particular interest in certain critical fields, but it also describes broader eligibility across NSF-funded research disciplines. In all cases, the institution is expected to justify the workforce need for the targeted discipline(s).

18) What does NSF mean by "evidence-based" strategies in S-STEM?

The opportunity states that institutions are expected to adapt, implement, and study evidence-based strategies that improve student outcomes. The specific evidence base is not detailed in the provided information, but the expectation is that supports are grounded in approaches with demonstrated effectiveness and that projects generate learning about what works in their context.

19) Should institutions contact NSF if they are unsure about degree or discipline eligibility?

Yes. NSF strongly encourages potential applicants to contact NSF Program Officers in advance if there is any uncertainty about whether a particular degree or discipline is eligible, especially given the expanded but still bounded scope of qualifying fields.

20) What is the awarding agency for this opportunity?

The agency listed is the National Science Foundation (NSF).

21) What type of funding opportunity is S-STEM in this listing?

It is listed as a grant opportunity.

22) What are the identifying numbers for this funding opportunity?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 22-527, and the CFDA number listed is 47.076.

23) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is listed as $5,000,000.

24) Approximately how many awards are expected?

The opportunity indicates an expectation of around 90 awards.

25) What are the key dates shown for this opportunity?

The opportunity creation date is November 25, 2021, and the original closing date shown is February 22, 2022.

26) Are certain types of institutions especially encouraged to apply?

Yes. The opportunity particularly encourages proposals from 2-year institutions, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and public institutions serving urban, suburban, and rural communities.

27) Why does S-STEM emphasize social mobility?

The program argues that real mobility requires more than access to college; it requires access to degrees tied to strong labor-market opportunities after graduation. This emphasis shapes project design by pushing institutions to connect scholarship support and student success activities to realistic, rewarding career outcomes.

28) What must institutions include when describing the student population they intend to serve?

Proposing institutions are expected to analyze and clearly describe the student population they intend to serve, including student characteristics and academic needs, and then explain how scholarships plus specific supports will address those needs.