The National Science Foundation awarded the University of South Carolina Upstate a $750,000 grant for programs related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The grant, Career Readiness to Inspire STEM Proficiency and Retention, is intended to boost recruitment, retention and graduation of more students in STEM programs. There will be two groups of seven students each who will receive up to $8,100 each year for up to four years. The first group begins fall 2023 and the second group the following fall.

Students will have professional-development activities to equip them with skills to ready them for careers or graduate studies. Moreover, they’ll have resources to help them with their chosen career courses, including pre-college orientation, mentoring, research/internships, and career-readiness initiatives.

The goal, according to the university, is to recruit talented students from low-income homes to study biology and chemistry and ensure they have the necessary skills to help them land jobs upon graduation.

“One goal of the grant is workforce development, and we hope scholarship recipients learn what rich career opportunities exist for those with degrees in biology and chemistry right here in South Carolina,” said Jeannie Chapman, dean of USC Upstate College of Science and Technology.

Students are required to have a 3.0 high school GPA, meet citizenship/residency requirements, declare a biology/chemistry major and be Pell Grant-eligible with unmet financial need. The university will set up an online portal later this semester.

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