Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Community (S-STEM) after Ten Years

摘要

The Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Community (CIRC) program for native upper division students and graduate students who have graduated from the Academic Success and Professional Development program supported by NSF STEM programs, has been in existence in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University since 2002. The current CIRC program is in its fourth year of NSF S-STEM funding (award #1060226). The program has evolved over the 13 years and now boosts a 95% graduation rate and a 50% rate of the undergraduate program students going directly to graduate school. For many years the program was fed by a lower division NSF S-STEM program, but funding is no longer available for that program. The CIRC program serves native upper division students in engineering and computer science, as well as graduate students who have graduated from CIRC, a second NSF S-STEM program for transfer students, or an NSF STEP program for five non-metropolitan community colleges. The scholarship students have unmet financial need, maintain a GPA of at least 3.0, are full-time students, and are US or permanent residents. Approximately 60% of the scholarship funding has been awarded to females or underrepresented minority students. This paper gives an insight to the evolution of the current CIRC scholarship program. The paper will also give summaries of the program and its impact.