Eliot Circular

Reed Nabs NSF Grant

STEM grant will support needy students.

By Kevin Myers

Reed won a $585,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships for Science Engineering Technology and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) in September. The money will support need-based scholarships to prepare talented students for work in STEM fields. “That Reed has been able to obtain two awards from this highly competitive NSF program speaks to our historical strength in producing mathematics and science majors and in sending Reed alumni to mathematics and science graduate programs,” said Patrick McDougal [chemistry 1990–], acting dean of the faculty.

The purpose of the five-year grant is to improve retention among mathematics and science majors. It will support three new cohorts of 12 to 13 students annually for a total of 38 STEM Scholars. The scholarships include funding for thesis research or conference travel.

With the new grant, Reed will continue to make a strong effort to award students who are the first generation in their family to attend college and those from groups currently underrepresented in the sciences.