STEM intervention programs: funding practices and challenges

Abstract

This study examines the funding practices and challenges of diversity initiatives found in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Interviews with 55 intervention program administrators, representing 48 unique STEM intervention programs, were conducted at nine large research-intensive universities. The interviews, which examined the design, structure, implementation, and funding challenges of STEM interventions, revealed that institutional funding priorities often run counter to national efforts to increase diversity within STEM. As institutions face budget cuts and reduced external funding, institutional support of STEM interventions reflects the university's commitment (or lack thereof) to diversifying the STEM fields. Many programs struggled with changes in funding over time, inadequate staffing and service delivery, and long-term program sustainability.

Keywords:

• funding
• interventions
• legitimacy
• STEM

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mariana Garcia Martinez, Stephanie Saclarides, and our reviewers for their support and contributions to this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0856309 and No. 1144245; and the Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education Grant No. R305B100017. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Education Sciences, or the US Department of Education.

Notes

1. The terms persistence and retention are used interchangeably throughout the article.