The LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) is a nationwide program funded by NSF to increase the quantity and quality of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations, with emphasis on Ph.D. matriculation and completion. BD programs implemented in the nation’s institutions of higher education contribute to addressing one of the objectives in NSF’s 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, namely to “integrate education and research to support development of a diverse STEM workforce with cutting-edge capabilities.” The vision of this grant is to provide a national model to produce underrepresented scientists and engineers with doctoral degrees in STEM.
General Requirements
- Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) applicants must have been participants in an undergraduate LSAMP program.
- Applicants must be accepted into a graduate program at the LSAMP BD campus site to be awarded the BD fellowship.
- Program benefits include stipend support, cost of education allowance, travel to professional conferences, mentorship, and professional development.
Each individual BD may have additional requirements or benefits. Please contact the BD directly for detailed information. A list of BD programs is located at: https://lsmrce.org/lsamp/bridge-doctorate.aspx
Most Recent BD Institution Hosts Awarded by the NSF
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas, through the Arkansas Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, is the recipient of an NSF Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Fellowship program. Preference will be given to current or former LSAMP students. Benefits include:
- $32,000 annual stipend (two years)
- Tuition, fees and health insurance (two years)
- Individualized mentoring and support
- Research in state of the art labs with faculty coaching
- Participation in professional conferences
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez in Spanish, is a public land-grant university in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. UPRM is the second-largest university campus of the University of Puerto Rico system. Each Fellow receives a $30,000 fellowship per year, for their first two years of graduate studies. These funds are distributed as follows: $1,500 per month plus three bonuses of $4,000 each for academic progress -one in December, one in May, and one in July. The BD Program also covers the Fellows’ tuition and institutional fees; the health plan, and provides funds for travel and educational materials.
University of Kentucky
KY-WV LSAMP has been awarded funding for the Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program. National Science Foundation grant will support 12 students from underrepresented populations who are pursuing graduate degrees in STEM disciplines at the University of Kentucky. BD Fellows will receive $32,000/year stipend as well as support for cost of education for two years through the NSF grant. Fellows will receive continuing support from the university after the conclusion of the grant funding. Fellows will also receive coaching, academic and community support, professional development, and access to opportunities for research, writing, and presentation.
Clemson University
The LSAMP program’s Bridges to the Doctorate Activity specifically focuses on providing a cohort of 12 LSAMP students from existing LSAMP alliances with financial support during the first two years of their STEM graduate studies, as well as providing them with the academic and research skills that will enable them to earn their STEM doctoral degrees and transition into the professoriate and/or STEM workforce.
Fresno University
Participating students will focus on activities that will enhance their preparation for PhD studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). CSU-LSAMP BD Program at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) includes completion of a Master of Science degree and entrance into a PhD program in a STEM discipline. CSU-LSAMP BD fellows are expected to complete the Master of Science degree in science, mathematics or engineering within 24 months. At the start of each new NSF-funded CSU-LSAMP BD program, a cohort of 12 students are selected. The CSU-LSAMP Program Oversight Committee determines which CSU campus will be the performance site for each LSAMP-BD program, contingent upon NSF funding. Program activities are designed to ensure that each CSU-LSAMP BD fellow: pursues a rigorous curriculum of graduate study leading to a MS degree in a STEM discipline in two years participates in a project of original research and acquires the skills required to communicate the outcomes in written and oral formats [written thesis, publication(s) in peer-reviewed journal(s), presentation(s) at national scientific conferences, presentation at departmental seminar or other on-campus program functions]; receives intense advising, mentoring and academic support necessary to become a confident and successful graduate student; and achieves competitive scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general & subject tests to support acceptance into a high quality PhD program.