The Scholarships for Oregon Scientists program has received a new grant of $617,000 from the National Science Foundation.

The grant provides students up to $10,000 a year for two years, with 90 percent of the scholarships awarded to undergraduates majoring in chemistry, biochemistry or physics. The program focuses on Oregon high school and transfer students and distributes the scholarships based on academic performance and financial need.

The program is one of several at the UO that address the state’s need for more graduates in the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The number of jobs in STEM have increased at a rate greater than the average increases in most jobs,” UO senior geophysics instructor Dean Livelybrooks said. “(The program) will likely have a positive economic impact on Oregon.”

The program doesn’t just focus on funding incoming students; it also works in high schools, fostering student interest in the sciences. Livelybrooks also said the scholarship distribution “tends to be very friendly toward underrepresented groups,” referencing the programs’ focus on minority and women students in science-related fields.  

―By Nathan Stevens, Public Affairs Communications intern