Society to launch Mini Grant program in 2015
In conjunction with the White House Science Fair held earlier this week, the Society announced a commitment to launch a pilot Society mini-grant program in 2015. This program will support under-served and socio-economically challenged students who have done scientific research by helping them to take the next step and submit their research for presentation and competition.
“We think it’s vitally important to continue building and diversifying the pool of students participating in science fairs and other STEM competitions,” said Maya Ajmera, CEO and President of Society for Science & the Public, Publisher of Science News, and alumna of the Science Talent Search. “This pilot grant will let us test out, on a small scale, if having a dedicated advocate impacts participation rates.”
Grants will be provided to individuals such as teachers, counselors, or mentors who agree to serve as an advocate for a group of 3-5 students and assist them in transitioning from conducting a scientific or engineering research project to completing the application for scientific competition(s).
We anticipate that 10 $2,500 grants will be awarded during the pilot year. The recipient will support their designated middle or high school students by providing prompts and communications about possible competitions and relevant deadlines, as well as supporting them in gathering and creating the required elements of an application.
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