Molloy University received its 10th National Science Foundation grant award under the S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) funding mechanism. This $2M 6-year grant (2025-2031) is supporting ASPIRE 2: Alumni, Students, Professors, Internships, Research, Enrichment to Careers in Science program building on the accomplishments of our prior ASPIRE 1 grant. Financial, academic, experiential, and career support will be offered to 22 academically talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need, enabling them to obtain a B.S. in biology or earth and environmental science (EES). Scholarships, up to $15,000 annually through graduation, will help students meet their financial obligations. Project activities include curriculum-embedded research throughout students’ undergraduate academic careers, three-tiered mentoring, enhanced cohort development, self-study online tutorial modules for introductory STEM courses, paid summer employment or research internship opportunities, and an enrichment series focused on post-graduate success. High-impact practices will achieve stronger retention and graduation rates, increased student learning, and a greater chance of successful transition to STEM-related employment or graduate study upon graduation.
Grant success results from the collaborative efforts of many. First, the ASPIRE team from the School of Arts and Sciences – Maureen Sanz, principal investigator (PI); co-PIs, Jodi Evans, Li Li, Michael Marino, Liz Suter; and key personnel, Gina Florio and Melissa Gebbia. The offices of Financial Aid, Institutional Research & Data Analytics, Planning and Assessment, and Student Success and Assessment, provided comprehensive information and data supporting the program’s objectives and strengthened the knowledge base of the proposal. Audrey Cohan, Office of Research, Scholarship, and Graduate Studies and Sherry Radowitz, Grants Office (Advancement) provided technical assistance and guidance throughout the grant writing process to submission, with great attention to detail and excellence to ensure the proposal met the highest standards.
“My sincere gratitude goes to all those who contributed to the ASPIRE 2 proposal. The collective expertise, commitment, and collaborative spirit were instrumental in shaping the narrative and presenting strong evidence-based support for this project. Student success stories from ASPIRE 1 highlight the potential of teamwork. ASPIRE 2, a much larger grant, offers us the opportunity to make a greater impact on student success together.” – Dr. Maureen Sanz, Professor of Biology.