NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Directorate for Education and Human Resources Office of the Assistant Director

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

SUBJECT: LSAMP "Bridge to the Doctorate" for Phase III LSAMP Alliances

Introduction: The Directorate for Education and Human Resources through the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) announces the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) supplemental activity, “Bridge to the Doctorate," beginning in FY 2003. The goal of these supplements is to fund an initial graduate degree bridge activity at Phase III LSAMP Alliance institutions. This activity will broaden participation through the attraction of underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Additionally, this activity seeks to remove minority students' hesitancy about entering graduate school, and the fear of creating additional financial indebtedness associated with initial graduate education.

Approximately 22,000 baccalaureate degree recipients are produced annually at LSAMP institutions. In order to ensure the matriculation of a larger number of these well trained and educated underrepresented minority students to graduate school, two-year supplemental funding on a competitive basis will be available to Phase III LSAMP Alliances.

Eligible Institutions: Each Phase III LSAMP Alliance may designate one graduate institutional site in their Alliance for this activity. The Alliance's lead institution must submit the proposal.

Limit on Number of Proposals: Only one proposal per Alliance may be submitted. Only LSAMP students, e.g. graduating seniors and previous graduates from an LSAMP Program, are eligible under this activity.

Graduate Students / Stipend Recipients: LSAMP supports sustained and comprehensive approaches that facilitate achievement of the long-term goal of increasing the number of students who earn doctorates in STEM fields, particularly those from populations underrepresented in STEM fields, and are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or its possessions.

Anticipated Type of Award: Supplements to existing Phase III LSAMP Alliance cooperative agreements.

Estimated Number of Awards: Ten (10) supplements.

Award Size and Duration of Supplement: $390,000 for Year 1 and $380,000 for Year 2 (maximum of $770,000 for two years) pending the availability of funds and satisfactory progress in Year 1.

Support for Activities under this Supplement: A critical mass of ten (10) LSAMP graduate students from STEM disciplines is required and will be supported under this supplemental activity. The NSF contribution to graduate student stipends will be $27,500 per year for each of ten students. NSF will provide a cost-of-education allowance to the institution for tuition, health insurance, and other normal fees of $10,500 per year for each of ten students. NSF will provide a flat $10,000 allowance per award in lieu of indirect costs. Graduate stipends should be listed on Line F., "Participant Support," on the proposal budget. All stipend recipients funded under this supplement must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or its possessions, to be consistent with the LSAMP cooperative agreements.

Project Description: LSAMP’s "Bridge to the Doctorate" activity is expected to include effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, educating and graduating the participants. Proposals must provide documentation of past performance at the designated graduate institutional site of retaining, graduating and placing significant numbers of its underrepresented minority graduates into doctoral degree programs. A plan for formally connecting a significant number of newly minted LSAMP Master's Degree graduates to doctoral degree programs is also expected. Tracking of project participants into doctoral degree programs and into the workforce, including the professorate is expected. Other highly valued activities will include mentoring of students and the allocation of resources to support student participation at professional meetings (at least one such meeting per year), and the hosting of seminars/workshops for the participants on such topics as, but not limited to:

• How to thrive in graduate school,

• Demystifying doctorate and postdoctoral programs, and

• Elements and intricacies of the science and engineering workforce enterprise, especially the professorate.

Proposal Preparation: Proposal supplements must be prepared in accordance with the GPG: http://www.inside.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/pam/pamdec02_10.htm#X.C.4

NSF Form 1030 HRD (9/94) should be used in all submissions. The three columns included on this budget form request information on funds requested from NSF, non-federal dollars, and total project costs.

Proposal Review: Panel and NSF staff will review the proposals

Proposal Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. proposer's local time on July 16, 2003.

FastLane Requirements: Proposals in response to this Dear Colleague letter must be submitted through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions for preparation and submission via FastLane are available at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp For FastLane user support, call 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov

NSF Contact: Inquiries regarding this funding opportunity should be directed to the following person:

Dr. A. James Hicks
Division of Human Resource Development (HRD)
(703) 292-4668;ahichs@nsf.gov)

Sincerely,

Judith A. Ramaley
Assistant Director