Concord University awarded million-dollar STEM grant

ATHENS, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Concord University announced on Monday that the institution’s College of Science, Mathematics, and Health has been awarded a million-dollar scholarship from the National Science Foundation.

The grant will go toward the “Science Engagement and Active Mentoring to Build Identity among Students in Computer Science, Chemistry and Geosciences,” which will contribute the need on a national level for mathematicians, engineers, scientists, and technicians with quality educational experience.

This will entail support for retention and graduation of low-income, high-achieving students at Concord University with demonstrated financial need. The six-year program is set to begin on October 1, 2024, and continue through September 30, 2030.

Funded through the scholarship will be scholarships for nineteen full-time students pursuing bachelor degrees in computer science, chemistry, computer information systems, and environmental geosciences. Four-year scholarships and enrichment activities will be allotted to first-year students in support of both social and academic growth through their respective graduations. Students who qualify for the program must be eligible for the PELL grant, a federally awarded grant.

Funding for the scholarship will be provided by the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program. The program hopes to increase the number of academically skilled, low-income students with demonstrated financial need who seek degrees in the STEM fields.

The program will also seek to provide improvements to the collective educations of future employees in STEM-related fields, as well as to generate knowledge with regard to success in the academic field along with the pathways for careers of students of a low-income background.

The million-dollar grant will be issued as part of an ongoing effort to provide support for the next generation of STEM students and employees.

Concord University has indicated that high school seniors will be recruited for the incoming 2025 SEAM cohort beginning this year. Students interested in potentially participating in the program are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Joseph Allen by email at allenj@concord.edu.