Broadening Opportunities for Biologists is a National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship Program at Oklahoma State University that provides financial, academic, and professional development support to undergraduate students transferring from a two-year school and majoring in biological science, zoology, or physiology.

Scholarships of up to $10,000 per year will be based on financial need and academic potential. Students must meet eligibility requirements, including demonstrated financial need. Scholarships are renewable for a second year when retention criteria are met. Scholarships will be awarded over nine years, from Fall 2010 through Fall 2018, depending on the availability of funds.

The goal of our program is to improve recruitment, retention, and graduation rates for students transferring from two-year colleges and pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biological science, zoology, or physiology at Oklahoma State University. S-STEM scholarships will allow students to focus on academics and reduce the burden of seeking other forms of financial support, such as loans, work study positions, or outside employment. Academic support will ease the transition from a two-year college to OSU and provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to complete their degree at OSU, while also providing skills for searching and applying for jobs, balancing professional and family life, and/or applying for and succeeding in graduate school. Professional development activities will expose students to career options in the life sciences, while encouraging students to develop a network of colleagues in the scientific community. The program is designed with flexible requirements to allow students to adapt their program experiences to their interests and needs.

Applications will be available on our website in late October and are due by February 1st each year. After the February 1st deadline, scholarships will be awarded based on availability of funds.

If you have questions about the S-STEM scholarship program, please contact Dr. Kristen Baum.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0849924. 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 (NSF).