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FAQs: NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) (Funding Opportunity Number 09-567)

1) What is the NSF S-STEM program (09-567)?

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program (Funding Opportunity Number 09-567) is a National Science Foundation discretionary grant program that funds U.S. colleges and universities so they can provide scholarships to students in eligible STEM fields.

2) What is the main goal of this opportunity?

The central goal is to help academically talented students who have financial need complete an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree in science and engineering disciplines and then transition into the workforce.

3) Does NSF award S-STEM scholarship money directly to students?

No. Under this opportunity, NSF funds institutions (colleges and universities), and each grantee institution runs its own scholarship program under the terms of its NSF award.

4) If students cannot apply to NSF directly, how do students pursue S-STEM scholarships?

Students seeking S-STEM scholarship support are instructed to contact their own Office of Financial Aid (or the relevant campus office that manages scholarship opportunities), because NSF itself does not accept scholarship applications from students.

5) Who is responsible for selecting scholarship recipients?

The institution is responsible for selecting scholarship recipients as part of the institution-run S-STEM project.

6) What is the institution responsible for managing day to day?

The institution is responsible for the full day-to-day operation of the S-STEM project, including selecting scholarship recipients, administering scholarship funds, tracking and reporting required information (including demographic data about the student scholars), and managing program activities that support student success.

7) What kinds of degrees does this program aim to support?

This opportunity is intended to help students complete an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree in science and engineering disciplines covered by the solicitation.

8) What kinds of fields are considered eligible?

The program supports scholarships in eligible STEM fields, specifically in the science and engineering disciplines specified in the solicitation.

9) What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?

The funding mechanism is a grant.

10) What NSF portfolio and CFDA listing is associated with this opportunity?

This opportunity sits within the NSF Education and Human Resources portfolio and is listed under CFDA 47.076.

11) How many awards were anticipated and what was the estimated total funding?

NSF anticipated about 100 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $70,000,000.

12) What was the expected award size range?

Individual awards were expected to range from $100,000 (award floor) to $600,000 (award ceiling).

13) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was listed for this opportunity, meaning institutions were not required to commit matching funds as a condition of applying.

14) Who is eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligibility to apply was limited to institutions of higher education in the United States and its territories, as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, that grant associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degrees in the disciplines specified in the solicitation.

15) Can students apply as applicants under this funding opportunity?

No. The eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, not individual students, and NSF does not accept scholarship applications from students under this program.

16) What are the requirements for the Principal Investigator (PI)?

The PI had to be a faculty member currently teaching in one of the S-STEM disciplines and capable of providing the leadership needed to run the project.

17) Can an S-STEM project involve multiple departments?

Yes. Projects could span multiple departments within an institution, but NSF required that one PI accept overall management responsibility. Other team members could be included as Co-PIs to support cross-department coordination and implementation.

18) What are the key dates and deadline structure for this solicitation?

The solicitation reflected multiple annual competitions. It was posted on June 20, 2009, with proposal deadlines in September 2009, August 2010, and August 2011.

19) What were the 2011 cycle deadlines listed in the record?

For the 2011 cycle, the letter of intent deadline was July 13, 2011, and the full proposal deadline was August 11, 2011, which is also listed as the current closing date in the provided record.

20) What was the original closing date for the first competition?

The original closing date for the first competition was September 14, 2009.

21) Is a letter of intent required?

The record indicates that institutions were expected to follow NSF's process for letters of intent (where applicable) and full proposal submission by the published deadlines. (The details of when it applies are governed by the NSF process for this solicitation.)

22) Where can applicants find the official solicitation reference?

The solicitation is referenced as NSF Publication 09-567.

23) Who should applicants contact for technical issues with submission?

Applicants experiencing technical issues were directed to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

24) Why does NSF emphasize reporting and demographic tracking?

As described in the opportunity, institutions must track and report required information, including demographic data about student scholars, and manage program activities that support student success. This structured project management and reporting is intended to document outcomes for student scholars.

25) How does this program relate to workforce development?

The program is designed to strengthen the STEM workforce pipeline by reducing financial barriers for academically talented students with financial need and by supporting their completion of STEM degrees and transition into the workforce.