The Directorate for STEM EDU held its 2024 Spring Advisory Committee (AC) meeting on May 28-29. The AC heard about new developments at the Directorate and from voices in the field, who showcased their important research on a wide-range of topics. In a new format, the AC Meeting followed a theme: “Rural and Remote Communities: Examining Ways to Unleash STEM Education and Workforce Opportunities.” This theme is likely of particular interest to members of Congress representing rural districts, including several on Congressional Science Committees and the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittees with jurisdiction over NSF.
[See the agenda here.]
The fiscal year 2024 (FY24) NSF budget included $1.172 billion for STEM EDU compared to $1.154 billion in FY23. The Bill’s text noted that “The agreement supports investments in STEM education in regions of the country that have historically faced challenges, including lower educational attainment and higher rates of poverty. . .”.
During a panel featuring academics from diverse scientific disciplines, researchers spoke about programs that brought STEM to underfunded rural schools, the development of career and technical education (CTE) programs in rural New Hampshire, and a program that encouraged veterans to gain STEM experience among others.
[See the FABBS Federal Funding Dashboard]
First2 Network serves rural communities by helping first-generation rural college students succeed in STEM-related majors. This represents a necessary opportunity for millions of college students. With almost 50 percent of STEM majors changing tracks during their studies, this has meant that underrepresented populations have typically steered away from these subjects. In the words of Jackie Huntoon, PhD, “talent is evenly distributed throughout the country, but opportunities are not.” The First2 Network and similar programs are designed to change that.
The advisory committee meeting concluded with the presentation of several recommendations to Karen Marrongelle, PhD, the Chief Operating Officer at NSF. Keeping with the theme of rural STEM education, the AC suggested that NSF create a document that shares “investments, research findings, and impacts,” to inform the public of NSF’s successes in STEM. They also recommended that NSF include diverse stakeholders in developing rural STEM initiatives, such as tribal councils, to gain more insight into what is best for each locality. Finally, to support STEM infrastructure, the AC added that investing in Principal Investigators (PI) to lead projects through identifying long-standing community partnerships and investing in research. Marrongelle listened and provided feedback, expressing support for the AC’s recommendations.
