The University of North Carolina Asheville Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy, and Computer Science have received a $1,999,399 S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the Data Analytics Training and Scientific Computing Initiative (DATASCI).
The grant, one of the largest ever in UNC Asheville's history, will provide four years of financial support to 18 first-year students and three years of support to 13 transfer students over the next six years.
“Paying for college can be a challenge,” said Becky Sanft, principal investigator and Chair and Associate Professor of Mathematics at UNC Asheville. “Many of our students have to work long hours to pay for school, which takes time away from their studies. The DATASCI program helps alleviate the financial burden for students by providing scholarships, enabling students to focus on their main job - being a student.”
The average award is expected to be $11,000 per year and will support Pell-eligible, academically talented scholars majoring in Astronomy, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or Physics at UNC Asheville.
“This extraordinary investment from the National Science Foundation underscores the prestige and progress that come when federal research dollars support student success and scientific innovation,” said Kimberly van Noort, Chancellor of UNC Asheville. “Scientific enterprise thrives when many minds pursue many different questions, and thanks to this grant, more of our students - especially those with high talent and financial need - will have the opportunity to be part of that pursuit.”