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NSF LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Louis Stokes Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) support the recruitment and retention of minority graduate students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The goal of the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) activity is to increase the quantity and quality of STEM graduate students from underrepresented populations, with emphasis on Ph.D. matriculation and completion.

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.

Map of Bridge to the Doctorates

BD Profiles

BD Title: LSAMP Bridges to the Doctorate (BD) Program
Institution: California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Participating students will focus on activities that will enhance their preparation for PhD studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). LSAMP-BD Program at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) includes completion of a Master of Science degree and entrance into a PhD program in a STEM discipline. 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.

BD Contact:
Mitzi Barrientos
Enail: lsamp@calstatela.edu | Phone: 323-343-2095
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: Clemson University, LS SCAMP
Institution: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
The Bridge to Doctorate (BD) Fellowship Program is committed to engaging students from underrepresented populations in graduate study within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields of study in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Science (CECAS) and College of Science (CoS)

BD Contact:
Dr. Rajendra Bordia
Enail: rbordia@clemson.edu | Phone: 1-864-656-5228

BD Title: Bridge to the Doctorate Program at Delaware State University
Institution: Delaware State University, Dover, DE
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Bridge to the Doctorate (BTD) program promotes the participation of underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The BTD program provides financial, academic and professional support while ensuring scholars build the connections and skills needed to excel in a chosen STEM career.

BD Contact:
Dr. Mazen Shahin
Enail: mr444@drexel.edu | Phone: 302-857-7055
BD Website

BD Title: CSU-LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate
Institution: Fresno State, Fresno, CA
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 - 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

Graduate Programs:
Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Plant Science, and Viticulture and Enology.

BD Contact:
Mrs. Lilia De La Cerda
Enail: liliad@csufresno.edu | Phone: 559-278-5748
BD Website | Twitter | Instagram

BD Title: Bridge to the Doctorate: Mississippi-LSAMP, Cohort 15
Institution: Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
The BD is a research based program where emphasis is placed on spending a significant amount of time carrying out laboratory and/or field-based experiments, including a 10-12 week extramural summer research internship. In addition to research, BD students will be enrolled as full-time MS students who will have to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above. Additional methods to prepare our BD students for PhD programs, such as mentoring, critical thinking, GRE, and other workshops are also provided. The combination of these methods has been effective in preparing 96 of our BD fellows to be admitted into PhD programs, 26 to earn a PhD, and 1 to earn a PhD and a MD.

BD Contact:
Dr. Aston Hamme
Enail: ashton.t.hamme@jsums.edu
BD Website

Institution: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

BD Contact:
Dr. Joel Ducoste
Enail: ncstatebdfellow@ncsu.edu

Institution: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station, TX
The Texas A&M University System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TAMUS LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BTD) program is designed to (1) retain BTD fellows into doctoral programs with funding after completion of the NSF BTD program (Master’s degree), (2) prepare fellows to meet the challenges of completing doctoral programs of study and for possible academic careers in higher education, and (3) develop the leadership skills necessary for them to succeed as young underrepresented minority professionals upon completion of doctoral program of study.

BD Contact:
Dr. John Avila
Enail: javila01@exchange.tamu.edu | Phone: 979-862-4315
BD Website

Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
The Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship Program at UAB is a funding option from the National Science Foundation (NSF) created in response to the shortage of researchers nationwide from underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The program is administered at UAB through the ALSAMP program which is headquartered at The University of Alabama. The ultimate goal of the BD Program is to prepare historically underrepresented minority students to persist and complete STEM doctoral degree programs.

BD Contact:
Dr. Louis Dale
Enail: ldale@uab.edu
BD Website

Institution: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

BD Contact:
Dr. Jean Andino
Enail: jean.andino@asu.edu
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: University of Arizona, Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities
Institution: University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ

BD Contact:
Dr. Jean Andino
Enail: jean.andino@asu.edu
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: University of Arkansas ARK-LSAMP
Institution: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
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. Current LSAMP students and beneficiaries are being recruited.

Graduate Programs:
Engineering: biomedical, biological, computer, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical Computer science Natural sciences: chemistry, biochemistry, physics, geosciences, mathematics, and biological sciences Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program

BD Contact:
Dr. Jorge Almodovar
Enail: jlalmodo@uark.edu | Phone: (479) 575-3924
BD Website

BD Title: CU Boulder LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Program
Institution: University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
The LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program at the University of Colorado Boulder supports 12 students from groups typically underrepresented in STEM to pursue graduate studies. Our program includes a fellowship stipend of $34,000 per year plus tuition support and fees. Enjoy R-1 world-class research with top faculty advisors, mentoring, professional development and social programs. Plus, the Graduate School waives application fees for LSAMP students, so you can apply to CU Boulder for free!

BD Contact:
Terri Wright
Enail: terri.wright@colorado.edu
BD Website

BD Title: All Nations LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate
Institution: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
The All-Nations LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate program at the University of Idaho is part of a network of 34 geographically diverse alliance institutions. The BD program assists with funding for a cohort of 12 eligible Native American or Alaska Native doctoral students. Participating students choose their STEM-based field and pair up with professors with matching expertise. Students and their professors are encouraged to integrate traditional ecological knowledge, an indigenous way of seeing science and the environment, into their studies and dissertations. The program is designed to support students through the critical first two years of graduate study with institutional support through to the fellows’ completion. Fellows receive additional mentoring, coaching, professional development and support from faculty mentors and tribal partners, and bridge to doctorate staff, to ensure their success in their STEM Graduate program.

Graduate Programs:
Graduate Programs: • Animal Physiology • Bioinformatics & Computational Biology • Biological Engineering • Biology • Chemical Engineering • Chemistry • Civil Engineering • Computer Science • Electrical Engineering • Entomology • Environmental Science • Food Science • Geology • Material Science & Engineering • Mathematics • Mechanical Engineering • Microbiology, Molecular Biology & Biochemistry • Natural Resources • Neuroscience • Nuclear Engineering • Physics • Plant Science • Soil & Land Resources • Water Resources

BD Contact:
Dr. Jerry McMurtry
Enail: mcmurtry@uidaho.edu | Phone: 208-885-2337
BD Website

BD Title: Bridge to the Doctorate at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
The Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (ILSAMP) is led by Chicago State University, which is a Predominantly Black University (PBU). The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a minority-serving (MSI) and Hispanic-Serving (HSI) institution hosts the 2019-2021 BD cohort of 12 historically underrepresented minority students pursuing doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines. UIC offers a comprehensive program that includes rigorous academic preparation and research training experiences as well as mentorship and professional development activities. Since the strategies implemented at UIC will result in the production of well-trained, highly-skilled STEM professionals from underrepresented minority groups, the project contributes significantly to increasing the diversity and representation in academia and the STEM workforce, thereby ensuring the nation's global competitiveness.

Graduate Programs:
UIC houses 177 total graduate degree programs. This includes 66 doctoral programs and 111 master's programs. A complete list of all programs STEM and other at http://www.uic.edu/academics/programs-of-study

BD Contact:
Jeremiah Abiade
Enail: jta@uic.edu
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: University of Kentucky, KY-WV LSAMP
Institution: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
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. More information can be found on our website.

Graduate Programs:
The University of Kentucky has dozens of STEM graduate programs in many disciplines. Faculty directly involved in the BD project include those from chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and neuroscience disciplines. https://gradschool.uky.edu/graduate-programs

BD Contact:
Mr. David Cartwright
Enail: david.cartwright@marshall.edu | Phone: 304-696-6024
BD Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

BD Title: Bridge to the Doctorate Program
Institution: University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan, PR
The Bridge-to-the-Doctorate Program, an initiative within the LSAMP Program, began in August of 2003, with ten former undergraduate PR-LSAMP students being awarded fellowships for their first two years of graduate studies at UPR-Rio Piedras. Since then, 96 additional fellowships have been awarded, for a total of 106 Fellows.

BD Contact:

Enail: info.prlsamp@gmail.com
BD Website

BD Title: USF Bridge to Doctorate Program
Institution: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
The Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) activity at the University of South Florida (USF) is funded by the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) through a grant from the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program’s within the National Science Foundation. It provides graduate fellowships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) doctoral students from underrepresented minority populations. LSAMP BD fellows receive 5-year funding to complete doctoral degrees in the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Marine Science, and Morsani College of Medicine.

BD Contact:
Dr. Thomas Weller
Enail: weller@usf.edu
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: University of Texas at Dallas University of Texas System LSAMP
Institution: University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
The goal of the UT Dallas BD Program is to support underrepresented minority students (URM) to complete doctoral degrees in STEM. It will also develop best practices that increase the success for these students which can be implemented broadly at UT Dallas and at UT System LSAMP Alliance partner institutions, and so positively benefit all graduate students.

Graduate Programs:
Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication Cognition and Neuroscience Communication Sciences and Disorders Psychological Sciences Biomedical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Electrical Engineering Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Software Engineering Telecommunications Engineering Molecular and Cell Biology Chemistry Geosciences Math Sciences - Statistics Mathematics Physics

BD Contact:
Dr. Amy Walker
Enail: amy.walker@utdallas.edu | Phone: 972-883-5780
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: The University of Texas at El Paso - The University of Texas System LSAMP
Institution: University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX
The University of Texas System LSAMP is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a Louis Stokes Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) grant for 2022-2024. We are currently seeking BD applications from eligible underrepresented minority students planning on applying to STEM PhD programs at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the spring 2023 and fall 2023 semesters. The Bridge to the Doctorate at UTEP will support 12 Ph.D. students in their first two years of study. Each participant will receive a total of $32,000 per year for two years, and an annual allowance for books, materials and supplies for two years. Subsequently, participants will receive offers as Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants, or Assistant Instructors. Tuition will be waived for the duration of their Ph.D. studies. Visit the BD website for fellowship details.

Graduate Programs:
STEM Ph.D. programs offered at UTEP include: 1. Biosciences 2. Biomedical Engineering 3. Chemistry 4. Civil Engineering 5. Computational Science 6. Computer Science 7. Data Science 8. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 9. Electrical and Computer Engineering 10. Environmental Science and Engineering 11. Geological Sciences 12. Materials Science and Engineering 13. Mechanical Engineering 14. Psychology Details about these programs can be found at http://catalog.utep.edu/grad/. UTEP Graduate School information can be accessed at https://www.utep.edu/graduate/

BD Contact:
Dr. Ariana Arciero
Enail: avarcier@utep.edu
BD Website

BD Title: LSAMP BD: Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia - North Carolina Alliance (2022-2024)
Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Participants will be provided resources for academic integration, social integration, mentoring, and discovering their research identity. A two-week bridge program, monthly meetings, and professional seminars will cover exploring the university assets supporting research, time management, financial management, developing a good mentoring relationship, grant writing, designing experiments and career planning. Peer mentoring will allow the participants to connect with current underrepresented graduate students to learn best practices for completing their degree.

Graduate Programs:
Biochemistry Biomedical Engineering Biostatistics Chemical & Life Sciences Engineering Chemical Biology Chemistry Engineering Epidemiology Human Genetics Integrative Life Sciences Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Microbiology and Immunology Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Neuroscience Physiology and Biophysics Systems Modeling and Analysis

BD Contact:
Dr. Mychal Smith
Enail: mdsmith@vcu.edu | Phone: 804-828-8667
BD Website