SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE $4 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS FOR SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Federal Investment Will Be Used To Develop Activities To Recruit And Retain Underrepresented Minority STEM Students
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $4,000,000 in federal funding for Syracuse University. The funding was allocated through the Nation Science Foundation (NSF) and will be used to help the university recruit and retain historically underrepresented minority students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses of study and careers. Syracuse University is the lead institution partner in ULSAMP, an alliance that seeks to expand, refine, and study best practices for preparing college students for successful transition into four-year STEM programs.
“Syracuse University is a world class institution that excels in educating the next generation of STEM professionals. This federal investment will allow Syracuse to use their expertise to help underrepresented communities break into the science and engineering world,” said Senator Schumer. “I will continue to fight for these types of federal programs that invest in our students, institutions and communities who can make a real difference with this type of funding.”
“In order for New York to maintain our competiveness in the 21st century global economy and keep our skilled workforce in the region, we must prepare our students with the education they need for the jobs of the future,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That starts with getting more talented students from diverse backgrounds into the STEM pipeline. These federal funds will provide Syracuse University with additional resources to help advance and develop programs that will introduce more students to math, science, and engineering. I will always fight in the Senate to make sure that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
The federal investment will be used to create innovative ways to recruit and retain historically underrepresented minority students, including those from community colleges, who are interested in pursuing coursework in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The funding will also support a study, which will generate new knowledge related to the recruitment, academic success, and persistence of underrepresented minority students in STEM, in the hopes of increasing representation.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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