The University of Montana and its partners have received nearly $5 million from the National Science Foundation to expand scholarship and mentoring support for low-income students pursuing graduate degrees in engineering and natural-resource fields.
The award comes as Montana employers face growing demand for workers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics backgrounds. University officials say the state’s STEM-related industries are expanding faster than many national competitors, increasing pressure to build a larger skilled workforce.
The new program, called S-STEM: Supporting Talented, Low-income Graduate Students via Internships while Completing their Degrees, is designed to help students move from undergraduate study into graduate school, internships, research and eventually the workforce.
The initiative will provide both financial assistance and structured mentoring, with an emphasis on students who may face added barriers because of income, geography or limited access to professional networks.
According to UM Graduate School Dean Ke Wu, a co-principal investigator on the grant, scholarships are expected to provide about $13,000 to $14,000 per student each year.
The program is expected to support four cohorts over six years, with as many as 16 students in each group, for a total of 64 students.
Students will be supported over a three-year period that includes their senior undergraduate year and two years of graduate study. University officials expect the combination of academic support, internships and mentoring to help participants enter the workforce with stronger technical and professional skills.
UM officials cited research showing that students from lower-income backgrounds are less likely to enroll in and complete graduate or professional programs than students from higher-income households.
Among the barriers identified are financial pressure, concerns about student debt, the need to enter the workforce immediately after college and less access to the informal networks and knowledge that can help students navigate graduate education.
Libby Metcalf, dean of UM’s W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation and a co-principal investigator on the project, said the program is intended to address those challenges through a combination of financial stability, hands-on experience, mentoring and professional network-building.
The broader goal is to increase graduate enrollment among low-income students while strengthening the pipeline of skilled workers entering Montana’s growing STEM industries.