Science and math programs at DePaul University and two City Colleges of Chicago have received a boost in the form of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for $1.1 million to be distributed over three years, beginning in September 2007.

The grant will go toward a project based on a partnership between the science and mathematics departments of DePaul—the lead institution—and Harold Washington and Harry S. Truman colleges. The aim of the Science Talent Expansion Program (STEP) is to build a “pipeline” for area science and math students and increase the number of graduates in science and math at the three institutions, particularly among minorities and women.

“This grant puts DePaul on the road to realizing its vision as an institution with strong science and math programs that recruit and retain students from diverse backgrounds and prepares them for a variety of career opportunities,” said Chris Goedde, chair of DePaul’s physics department and one of two DePaul principals for the grant. Carolyn Narasimhan, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and director of Interdisciplinary Science & Technology Center at DePaul, is the other grant principal.

Michael Davis, chair of physical sciences at Harold Washington, and James Onoda, associate professor of biology at Truman, are the other co-principals.

The STEP grant proposal request was for just under $2 million. The entire amount will be awarded over two years after a progress review is conducted by NSF at the end of the initial award period.

According to Goedde and Narasimhan, minorities and women are not so much under-represented in enrollment figures as they are in graduation rates. “First- and second-year attrition rates are quite high among minorities,” said Narasimhan.

The math and science expansion project will aim for a 30 percent increase in math and science students in five years; a 100 percent increase in the number of minority math and science graduates at DePaul; and a 10 percent increase in students completing associate degrees in science and math at the city colleges.

The program will accomplish its goals by building a supportive environment for students majoring in math and science; exposing them to research opportunities early in their studies; providing internship opportunities at corporations and science museums; and coordinating the curriculums at the three academic institutions to aid in student matriculation, according to the grant principals.

At the centerpiece of the math and science expansion initiative is a summer program, “Introduction to Research,” that will begin in 2008. Geared toward students who have completed their first year of college, the program will help students develop the skills needed for independent research. “Research motivates students and builds on their academic success,” explained Goedde. “Faculty members will have the opportunity to mentor one-on-one, and students will gain an authentic science experience,” said Narasimhan. “Gone are the days of creating hoops for students to jump through before they can do research.”

The program also calls for support programs at all three institutions, which include interventions such as peer tutoring. Under a formal articulation agreement, city college students completing science and math requirements at their respective institutions will be able to transfer to DePaul to complete their baccalaureate degrees once they meet specific requirements.