Scholarships for the recruitment and retention of bright young scientists.

News & Events

Science for Change - July 18, 2012

This lecture series brings top minds to The University of Texas at Austin to speak about how scientists advance our social and economic future. It's about what scientists can do outside of the laboratory or doctor's office.

We live in an age when scientific discoveries are expanding the minds and improving the quality of life of all people on Earth. Science and technology are at the core of our nation's prosperity, providing the economic advantage for our nation to compete in a global economy. Now, more than ever, our nation needs citizen scientists who will step out of the confines of universities and into public life to provide the leadership our nation requires. Join us for the Science for Change lecture series, in which government leaders in public policy, education and economic policy tell us how they contribute to our future, and how you can too.

Find out when the next lecture is by visiting the EVENTS page.

Sponsored by Scientists for Tomorrow and the National Science Foundation

About Scientists for Tomorrow

The University of Texas at Austin and the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) have incredible resources for education in the sciences. As a large college at a premier research institution in a state with an increasingly diverse population, we offer an ideal mechanism for implementation of
a scholarship program designed to recruit high-performing students with financial need into degree programs and careers in the sciences.

Our new scholarship program, Scientists for Tomorrow, allows the College of Natural Sciences, in partnership with individual departments, to offer competitive recruiting scholarships to top incoming students interested in science. It takes advantage of existing outreach and recruiting efforts including college honors programs, undergraduate research and diversity initiatives. Students who enter UT-Austin as part of this program are seamlessly integrated into extremely successful first-year programs within their discipline, programs that involve small classes, strong cohorts, academic communities, tutoring and career planning, and guided toward early involvement in undergraduate research and additional funding opportunities. We anticipate that this scholarship program, in partnership with existing programs, will not only allow improved recruiting of these students, but also greatly affect their trajectory toward graduate programs and careers in science.

The Scientists for Tomorrow scholarship program is open to new and continuing science students at The University of Texas at Austin with priority given to entering first-year students interested in Astronomy, Computer Sciences, Math, and Physics.

The primary goals and objectives of this program are to:

• Increase access to UT-Austin College of Natural Sciences for low-income, first-generation college students and groups underrepresented in graduate education.
  • Increase accepted admissions offers among top students in need in the STEM fields ofAstronomy, Computer Science, Math, and Physics through using scholarships as incentives.
  • Increase number of freshman entrants into the college from underrepresented groups through personal recruiting.
• Improve first-year performance for at-risk students.
  • Allow students to focus on first- year coursework by alleviating the need to work.
  • Increase first year success statistics including progress in the major and GPA.
  • Match students with an academic cohort within their discipline of interest.
  • Engage students with a faculty mentor.
• Involve students in UT community and discipline.
  • Provide community, academic enrichment, and social events.
  • Engage students in undergraduate research and internship opportunities.
• Successfully transition Scientists for Tomorrow into programs designed for continued support.
  • Connect scholars to internal departmental scholarships, and college-wide undergraduate research programs and fellowships.
  • Connect students to external paid internships or university wide pre-graduate school programs.

• Ultimately affect graduation rates, graduate school and STEM career choices.
  • Increase retention and graduation through involvement in research and mentoring.
  • Increase application and matriculation into post-baccalaureate degree programs through improved awareness of opportunities, workshops and training.
  • Increase connectedness with local industry and positively impact the scientific workforce in collaboration with career services.

"Scholarships are one of the most important tools for recruiting and keeping our best young scientists..."Tiffany Grady, SFT Coordinator