STEM Funding to Enhance Undergraduate Research

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing $14.5 million in the inaugural set of awards through its Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education (ITYC) program. 

The program aims to support potentially transformative projects that will advance innovative, evidence-based practices at two-year colleges nationwide in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Congratulations to Renu Bhagat Kumar, Ph.D. Biology Faculty and PI/Director of NSF STEM grant programs at Minneapolis College for securing NSF funding of $499,006 to enhance the undergraduate research initiative at the institution.

“Community colleges play a critical role in training people from all parts of the country for a variety of STEM careers including future scientists, engineers, and technicians," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. 

“The Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education program is essential to how we expand pathways and opportunities so that more talented people from every part of the nation have the opportunity to make their way into STEM. I'm pleased that Congress recognized the critical role of community colleges in the 'CHIPS and Science Act of 2022' and the foundation they provide for educational opportunities. Programs like ITYC are how we build on that foundation to reach more young people who have bright futures ahead of them in the STEM community."

The twin goals of the ITYC program are to (1) center students in the effort to advance innovation, promote equitable outcomes, and broaden participation for all students in STEM education at two-year colleges and (2) enhance the capacity of two-year colleges to harness the talent and potential of their diverse student and faculty populations through innovative disciplinary, multi-department and collegewide efforts. These goals will be reached by investing in projects at two-year colleges that contribute to student success in STEM-based foundational courses and academic pathways for majors and nonmajors. 

ITYC offers two key tracks: “A Focus on the Academic Experiences of Two-Year College Students” and “Leveraging Institutional Strengths and Innovation.” A total of 35 awards have been granted for proposals within these tracks, as well as for conferences, workshops, and planning efforts.

Minneapolis College received funding for Supporting Academic Excellence in STEM. Kumar, Principal Investigator of the project describes this initiative as “a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort among various STEM departments at Minneapolis College. It aims to engage and support students from diverse social identities in undergraduate research experiences, while also empowering our faculty to develop these scholarly activities.””

The ITYC program is aligned with the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education framework, which is a comprehensive effort to accelerate improvements in the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate education in STEM fields. The program advances research on the nature of learning and teaching at community colleges to improve outcomes for students who enter the workforce upon completion of their STEM degree or credential, or transfer to four-year institutions."

To learn more about the program, visit the ITYC webpage.