NSF Award
2404783
The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the number 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 support 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 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 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.<br/><br/>Boise State University (BSU) is a partnering institution with the Pacific Northwest (PNW) LSAMP. The BSU Bridge to the Doctorate program will increase the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM doctoral programs addressing the national need for a more diverse and expansive STEM workforce. To ensure the success of underrepresented minority students at the graduate level, the project will provide a comprehensive framework for academic achievement by emphasizing multidisciplinary learning, building a sense of community and social networking events, incorporating inclusive mentoring strategies that enhance diversity and inclusion, encouraging scientific writing skills development to increase science identity, and integrating career exploration and professional development. Stipends will be provided to participants recruited from LSAMP-supported alliances across the nation. Ultimately, the program will be the catalyst to fundamentally transform the structures, mindsets, processes, and programming at BSU so that the institution increases the overall representation and success of historically underrepresented minority students in their completion of STEM doctoral degree programs. Moreover, the lessons learned from this program will be shared extensively with the other universities in the PNW Alliance, across the LSAMP national network, and, more generally, with the national STEM higher education arena.<br/><br/>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.
