Travel Support for Academically Talented Science and Engineering Undergraduates to Attend the 2024 Great Minds in STEM Conference

This project aims to serve the national interest by increasing the number and diversity of students who pursue graduate education and jobs in STEM. This Travel Grant will support 35 academically talented undergraduate students to attend the 2024 Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) Conference, which will be held November 6-9, 2024, in Fort Worth, TX. The students will be recruited through a partnership with science and engineering honor societies at Minority Serving Institutions.

At the conference, the students will participate in seminars, mentoring, networking, and other professional development activities focusing on readiness for STEM graduate school and STEM careers.

Educating and retaining a diverse STEM workforce enables the nation's continued innovation in STEM as well as positive societal impacts. This project will enable a diverse group of academically talented STEM undergraduates to gain knowledge and skills that prepare them for STEM graduate education and the STEM workforce. Recruitment will target students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).

The students who participate in the conference will learn about different sectors of STEM industries, engage in mentoring and networking activities, strengthen their identity as STEM professionals, and develop a stronger sense of belonging to the STEM community.

The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.

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.