Extramural Coordinated Funding

UM Submission Instructions: Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net) 2025

Sponsor:	National Science Foundation (NSF)
Award Title:	Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net)
Amount:	$3 Million For S-STEM-Hub proposals, limit of $3 million total over a maximum of 5 years.
UM Deadline:	05/30/2025
Sponsor Deadline:	08/14/2025
Description:	Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to foster a community for S-STEM stakeholders and further develop the infrastructure needed to generate and disseminate new knowledge, successful practices and effective design principles arising from NSF S-STEM projects nationwide. To support collaboration within the S-STEM network, NSF will fund several S-STEM Research Hubs (S-STEM-Hub). The primary goal of each S-STEM Research Hub is to support and carry out high-quality, innovative research on the factors, structures or interventions involved in supporting and promoting the success of domestic low-income undergraduate and graduate STEM students, regardless of other demographic factors. S-STEM Research Hubs are primarily formed to organize groups of researchers to conduct and disseminate rigorous qualitative and quantitative research on topics related to the S-STEM program and low-income student success. Each Research Hub should have a central focus that intersects a clear group of current and prospective S-STEM institutions. For example, a Research Hub might be organized around research on specific interventions (e.g., impact of math Summer bridge programs) or desirable outcomes (e.g., development of STEM identity) for S-STEM scholars. Other thematic topics that Research Hubs might focus on include research on issues affecting a specific discipline or academic context (e.g., low-income undergraduates in computer science; access to doctoral e programs for domestic low-income students in strategic disciplines such as quantum science, robotics, or AI; first-generation S-STEM scholars at two-year colleges; low-income veterans pursuing STEM careers). Any other common interests that exist among active S-STEM projects might also be appropriate for development of a Research Hub, including geographic regions with common cultural and other socio-economic factors affecting scholars (e.g., S-STEM Research Hub of the Midwest) or type of institution (e.g., S-STEM Hub for Rural-serving Institutions) or about a pervasive issue experienced by low-income scholars across certain types of institutions (e.g., S-STEM Research Hub about Strategies to Overcome Impostor Syndrome at Highly Competitive Institutions). Research Hubs coordinate groups of researchers engaged with S-STEM projects to explore methodologies, data streams, and opportunities for new research directions. Consequently, the Research Hub must conduct activities that will foster new and innovative collaborative research activities involving researchers from beyond the host institution. It is anticipated that the activities in which the hub engages may evolve. Thus, it is important that a Research Hub leverages its interinstitutional nature and builds a flexible structure that could facilitate such changes over its lifespan.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit:	1
Additional Requirements:	None
Sponsor Guidelines:	https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/s-stem-net-scholarships-stem-network/nsf23-536/solicitation#pgm_intr_txt
UM Nominations Process:	Those interested in applying should submit the following as a single pdf document to collabor@umn.edu no later than 4pm on: 5/30/2025 1. Cover page including PI name, department, contact information, project title, any co-PI's names, departments, and institutions (if not from UMN) and one paragraph project abstract. 2. Project summary - to include central focus of proposed S-STEM Research Hub. Review Criteria: ----Present the rationale for the creation of a Research Hub as opposed to a regular research grant. Research questions grounded in the literature that constitute the starting point for the Hub should also be included; ----Justify the research work that otherwise could not be advanced without the funded collaboration (why a large award with multiple PIs is needed); ----Involve multiple S-STEM constituencies and institutions; and ----Identify the relevant stakeholders for the proposed Research Hub focus. (not more than three pages) 3. Biosketch of PI and any co-PI's (2 - 5 pages, NSF, NIH, or other relevant format). 4. 2-3 names of possible UMN reviewers (NOT References) (with no Conflicts of Interest) plus 5 keywords to be used as search terms for possible reviewers (can be added to Cover Page) Any questions can be submitted to collabor@umn.edu
Peer Review Coordination:	Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status:	The internal deadline has passed with no applicants. Contact us if interested.
Please note:	To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.

General Information

Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
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If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.

Internal Requirements

Sponsor: Name of funder.
Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
Status:
- Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
- Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
- Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
- Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
- In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
- PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
- Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.

UMN Selection Process

Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".

*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.