Scholarships and Support for Students Pursing Masters of Science Degrees in Research-Focused Biology and Biotechnology Programs

About This Grant

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Over its 6-year duration, this Track 2 project funds scholarships for 32 unique full-time students who are pursuing Master of Science (MS) degrees in research-focused Biology and Biotechnology programs. These students receive one or two-year scholarships. Scholars are introduced to new curriculum and cohort-based activities that foster resilience, develop research and professional skills, and prepare them to enter the biotechnology workforce. Scholars are paired with both near peer mentors and established faculty mentors to support academic and research progress. This project ultimately seeks to contribute well-prepared individuals to the biotechnology workforce in the region while simultaneously increasing the earning potential of scholars. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion among high-achieving Master of Science (MS) students in Biology and Biotechnology with demonstrated financial need. This goal is achieved by awarding scholarships and enhancing curricular and co-curricular activities to foster resilient student cohorts, implement multi-tiered mentoring programs, and develop a new and sustainable MS program in biotechnology that continues beyond the funding period. The new degree program enables high-achieving undergraduate students engaged in research to complete a research-intensive MS degree in a single year instead of the typical two-year duration. The project employs evidence-based strategies to design curricular and co-curricular activities that strengthen resilience in STEM. All participating students receive support throughout their MS studies and transition into the biotechnology workforce or a STEM-related PhD program. An external evaluator monitors scholar recruitment, scholarship distribution, student outcomes from academic and co-curricular engagement, and the impact of holistic mentorship. Project outcomes are shared through social media, conferences, publications, reports, and alumni engagement. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of academically talented low-income students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income 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.