University of Hawai'i Foundation
To establish a pilot to create the “Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander STEM Consortium” to increase the number of students completing an undergraduate degree in STEM and seeking entrance into STEM graduate education programs
This grant supports a pilot initiative to establish a Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander STEM Consortium (NHPISC), with the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) serving as the lead in partnership with the University of Guam and College of the Marshall Islands. The consortium seeks to address issues of representation in STEM at the graduate level. Specifically, grant funds will be used to establish undergraduate research experiences for 8 undergraduate students (4 at UH Mānoa, 2 at Guam, 2 at Marshall Islands); provide professional development opportunities for undergraduate students to learn more about applying to and pursuing graduate education; develop a cross-institutional mentorship program with graduate students serving as mentors for undergraduates; coordinate an 8-week summer pathway program for 10 students (across the three institutions) per year; host an Indigenous faculty spotlight series; and facilitate faculty inquiry seminars to promote faculty collaboration across the involved institutions.