Best STEM Education Grants in Iowa

STEM BEST® Program

The STEM BEST® (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) Program focuses on teachers and industry professionals working side-by-side to craft curriculum and projects that prepare students for exciting STEM careers local to their community in manufacturing, information technology, bioscience (agriculture and medicine), finance and more. 

The goal of the STEM BEST® Program is to support the launch of new or expanded STEM BEST® K-12 Program models specifically focused on creating work-based and career connected learning opportunities that allow students to develop future-focused, high-demand skills through real-world experiences. These future-focused skills align with the Iowa Academic Standards and Universal Constructs and create opportunities for students to become leaders and innovators of a future-focused Iowa. 

The STEM BEST® funding opportunity offers:

• award amounts up to $50,000.
• a 16 to 17-month timeframe to spend funds.
• a cost-share match of 2:1 is required ($50,000 state funds to $25,000 awardee match).

Middle schools in Iowa seeking to launch the PLTW Gateway STEM program for the first time can receive US $9,100 in non-cash support for participation and teacher training. Grants from Project Lead The Way help cover PLTW Gateway participation fees and six Core Training registrations for eligible public, private, and charter schools, including rural and high-need campuses.

Public, private, and charter schools in Iowa seeking to launch a PLTW Biomedical Science pathway can receive up to US $14,000 to cover participation and teacher training fees over three years. Project Lead The Way provides funding for new PLTW Biomedical Science programs running from 2026–2027 through 2028–2029.

Secondary STEM educators and pre-service teachers in Iowa can receive up to US $5,000 and three graduate credits for completing 200–240 hours in a summer workplace through paid externships. Iowa STEM Council provides Iowa STEM / STEAM education professionals with hands-on industry experience to better connect classroom learning to real-world careers.

Iowa 501(c)(3) nonprofits offering STEM education, workforce readiness, safety, environmental, or community vitality programs in Union Pacific–served communities can access funding through Union Pacific Foundation for programmatic projects, not general operations. Grants of US $5,000 - US $30,000 prioritize underrepresented populations and initiatives that demonstrate clear need, strong capacity, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Iowa public school districts and accredited nonpublic school systems can seek funding to provide proven computer science professional development for teachers. Focused on STEM education, the Iowa Department of Education invites Iowa school systems and collaboratives to support high-quality computer science instruction, including allowable costs like required training equipment and stipends for off-contract time.

Schools and nonprofit partners in Iowa providing after-school academic and enrichment programs, including STEM education, can seek US $50,000 - US $150,000 annually through the Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC program. With a mission to expand community learning centers, Iowa Department of Education funds Title I-eligible schools serving significant low-income student populations.

Iowa public school districts and accredited nonpublic school systems can apply for Iowa Department of Education funding to reimburse tuition and textbooks for teachers pursuing computer science or 5–12 CTE Information Technology endorsements. Awards up to US $1,300 help build local capacity for high-quality STEM and computer science instruction in Iowa schools.

Iowa 501(c)(3) nonprofits and eligible government entities can access funding for STEM and workforce development education, sustainability, and thriving community initiatives. Marathon Petroleum supports programs with measurable outcomes in regions where it operates, including Iowa, with grants focused on technical and vocational training, youth development, environmental conservation, and community safety and resilience.

The Carteret County Retired School Personnel Scholarship Endowment offers scholarships to graduating seniors from Carteret County public high schools with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Eligible students must apply for admission to an accredited college or university and plan to pursue a degree in education, demonstrating their commitment to serving as positive role models. Applications open on Dec. 16, 2025, and close on March 3, 2026.

The Carteret County Association of Home Builders Murdoch Scholarship offers financial assistance to graduating seniors and graduates from Carteret County high schools. Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in accredited technical schools or universities pursuing degrees in construction-related fields. Priority is given to those with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and demonstrated financial need. Applications open on December 16, 2025, and close on March 3, 2026, making it essential for interested candidates to prepare their submissions accordingly.

Scholarships

We partner with donors to administer scholarships for students across the state. Most NCCF scholarships open for applications on Dec. 16, 2025, and close on March 3, 2026.

Undergraduates, graduates, medical and professional school students and adult re-entry students who are attending community colleges, four-year universities, career/technical schools, teaching credential programs and graduate, medical or professional schools in the United States are eligible for scholarships offered at NCCF.

Each scholarship has specific eligibility requirements defined by the donor when the scholarship was established. Be sure to read the requirements of each scholarship carefully as directed through the universal application and address those elements as needed in your application.

Baronowski Family STEM Scholarship

Female graduates of a Brunswick County, NC, high school who plan to attend or currently attend a qualified institution of higher learning, including a college, university or community college, to pursue a degree in one of the STEM disciplines (Science, Engineering, Technology, or Math).

In just one application, our Common Scholarship Application provides students access to more than 150 scholarship opportunities with awards ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000.

In 2025, San Diego Foundation awarded a record-breaking $5.5 million in scholarships to nearly 1,400 students.

Wen Bo Wang Scholarship

Be graduating high school seniors and plan to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year university in the United States in fall.

The San Diego Foundation

We enable donors and nonprofit partners to tackle the most critical needs facing San Diegans.

For 50 years, donors, nonprofits, communities, government and civic leaders have trusted San Diego Foundation to transform lives and have partnered with us for lasting change that moves our region forward.

As San Diego’s largest regional community foundation, it’s our job to understand the pulse of our local communities better than anyone, enabling donors and nonprofit partners to tackle the most critical needs facing San Diegans.

Community Scholarship Program

Since 1997, the Community Scholarship Program has awarded $59.5 million to more than 15,400 students, making our program the largest non-university scholarship provider in San Diego County. By offering financial assistance, the program helps students dedicate more time to their studies, stay enrolled and complete their degrees.

The SD2 Scholarship

The SD2 Scholarship applicants should:

• Be graduating high school seniors or current community college students
• Plan to enroll or transfer to an accredited four-year university in the US in fall
• Have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (with rare exceptions for extenuating circumstances)
• Plan to major in science, technology, engineering or mathematics
• Demonstrate an interest in the advancement of historically underrepresented populations in the sciences and related fields
• Students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply
• Have a demonstrated financial need
• Open to those applicants above with a focus on reducing historical educational disparities for those furthest from opportunity

About Us

We enable donors and nonprofit partners to tackle the most critical needs facing San Diegans.

Mission & Values

Our vision is for just, equitable and resilient communities.

Our mission is to inspire enduring philanthropy and enable community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region.

We value all people, all partners and our region.

Common Scholarship Application

Achieve your Higher Education Dreams

In just one application, our Common Scholarship Application provides students access to more than 150 scholarship opportunities with awards ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000.

In 2025, San Diego Foundation awarded a record-breaking $5.5 million in scholarships to nearly 1,400 students.

The Pittsburgh Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students to pursue their educational goals. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students who are attending community colleges, four–year universities, graduate schools, and career/technical schools.

Pittsburgh ERG Scholarship Fund

The Pittsburgh ERG Scholarship formed by employees of Microsoft delivers on the mission of Microsoft’s local employee resource group to support diversity and inclusion. This scholarship enables high school students with disabilities and/or financial needs to go to college and pursue a career in technology. In addition, we hope to contribute to increasing the pool of people living with a disability enrolling in higher education and, in the long term, decrease the unemployment bias for this demographic. This scholarship will be awarded to promising high school seniors living in the city of Pittsburgh who plan to attend a vocational or academic college and have a financial need. The amount of this multi-year renewable scholarship is $12,000 payable over four years ($3,000 per year). (Immediate family members of Microsoft employees are not eligible for this scholarship.)

• Average Award: $12,000 over 4 years.
• Award Type: Multi-Year (up to 4 years). Recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and enrollment in the stated major.

The Pittsburgh Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students to pursue their educational goals. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students who are attending community colleges, four–year universities, graduate schools, and career/technical schools.

Kennametal Scholarship Fund

The Kennametal Scholarship Fund was created at The Pittsburgh Foundation to support students in Southwestern Pennsylvania with financial need pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related degrees. The purpose of the scholarship is to broaden the awareness of opportunities in STEM by supporting students who have been disproportionately affected by systemic barriers to educational achievement.

• Average Award: Varies
• Award Type: Multi-Year (up to 4 years).

Better World Scholarship Fund

The scholarship encourages women to acquire a degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) field. The donor’s bachelor’s degree is in mathematics, followed 15 years later with a master’s degree in business administration. Her degree in mathematics provided opportunities for jobs in software development and application, medical research, technical documentation, organizational education and training, scientific research, and business. Her career was challenging, dynamic, encouraged creativity, never boring, offered schedule flexibility that allowed her to parent her four children, provided career choice independence, and was lucrative. Go STEM Girls!

Award Amount:

• Minimum $1,000

Community Foundation of the North State

The Community Foundation builds trust through relationship, integrity, and by providing safe places for donors to give their resources.

We are a nonprofit, public charity serving the people of Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama counties, with a mission to impact the region through the power of giving.

Scholarships

The Community Foundation of the North State manages many scholarship funds that are awarded to graduating high school seniors as well as students already in an undergraduate program. Some scholarships were started by families or individuals; others by businesses or organizations. All scholarships share one important focus: helping young people reach their educational goals.

REU Powering Redding’s Future Scholarship Fund

Redding Electric Utility (REU) is proud to offer students in the Redding community awards from the REU Powering Redding’s Future Scholarship, Program. The purpose of REU’s Program is to identify and support local students dreaming and planning to attend community college, a 4-year college/university, or technical school. The primary goals of REU’s Powering Redding’s Future program is to encourage Redding’s youth to consider a college/university or technical school education that may lead to career opportunities in the electric utility industry, preferably with REU. This program will award up to $50,000 in scholarships for local students each year.

All REU scholarships are offered to Redding residents.

EPSCoR RII Research Fellows Limited Competition

EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with the NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels. EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research institutions and/or centers. The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site. Through collaborative research activities with the host site, Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows' research trajectories well beyond the award period. The benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly.

Scholarships support aspiring college students who hold the promise of tomorrow’s progress.

Together, our competitive grants and scholarships help our region rise thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors.

The Reuter Scholarship Fund

• Interested in pursuing a career in engineering, science or technology
• Based on good moral character and student’s overall performance as to academic ability and standing, extracurricular activities, success in dealing with life’s challenges in individual circumstances and financial need

This FOA is intended for proposals related to basic and applied research in the STEM categories, and not related to the development of a specific system or hardware procurement.The proposal submission process has two stages:I. Applicants are encouraged to submit a white paper first to Grants@NPS.edu, ; andII. Applicants must submit a full proposal through Grants.gov (do not submit white papers through Grants.gov, only full proposals)Applicants are encouraged to submit a White Paper in advance of a Full Proposal to minimize the labor and other costs associated with the production of detailed full proposals that have little chance of being selected for funding. Based on an assessment of the white papers, the responsible Research Program Officer will provide informal feedback notification to the prospective awardees to encourage or discourage submission proposals. The Research Program Officer may also, on occasion, provide feedback encouraging re-work to strengthen a proposal. White Papers may be submitted at any time during the open period of this FOA. A separate White Paper is required for each research proposal.

About Legacy Foundation

Legacy Foundation is the community foundation for Lake County, Indiana. We connect people, knowledge, and funding to build an equitable, accessible, and inclusive Lake County, now and for generations to come.

Legacy Foundation is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, and businesses connected by the desire to improve Lake County, Indiana. With a growing portfolio of over 300 funds and approximately $80 million in assets, Legacy Foundation is a trusted source for philanthropic giving in the region.

For over 30 years, Legacy Foundation has been empowering people, providing strategic leadership, and impactful philanthropic support to create an equitable Lake County where all people thrive.

Mission Statement

Transforming Lake County by providing strategic leadership and impactful philanthropic support to ensure equitable opportunity for all communities that we serve.

Vision Statement

Create an equitable Lake County where all people thrive.

Milton and Ruby McClendon Scholarship

Use the chart below to see which scholarships are the best fit for you! You must complete the Legacy Universal Application to apply.

Scholarship eligibility requires students to attend an accredited 2 or 4 year public or private institution of higher learning. All scholarships are for full-time students, unless otherwise noted. Renewable awards are for 4 years of undergraduate study and cannot be used for post graduate coursework; all awards are paid directly to the school or may be used for book reimbursement.

Students pursuing college studies in industrial arts, technology, construction, manufacturing, or related STEM fields who demonstrate a strong work ethic and have low to modest income may be eligible for this scholarship. The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation prioritizes Kansas and Midwest residents, which may include Iowa students preparing for STEM-related careers.

Community college-bound STEM students in Iowa can access funding through the Community Foundation of North Central Washington for STEM and environmental studies education. Graduates or graduating seniors of Wenatchee or Westside High School who later declare a STEM major may be eligible, with preference for first-generation, disadvantaged, foster care, or science-focused students.

The Delesky-Wetmore Scholarship, established in October 2025 by Cathy Delesky and Doug Wetmore through the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, aims to support high school seniors in Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, or Colleton Counties, South Carolina. This scholarship focuses on students with financial need pursuing a four-year degree in STEM, finance, or economics, requiring a minimum GPA of 3.5 and above-average ACT or SAT scores.

Community Foundation of New Jersey

Over our 46-year history, the Community Foundation of New Jersey has collaborated with individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to design charitable funds and implement the philanthropic solutions they want to see in their communities. We leverage $1.17 billion in assets and 1,200 funds to help our partners think boldly and creatively about ways to give.

Scholarship Fund Overview

Beyond a shared commitment to educational opportunity, families establish scholarship funds with a variety of goals and purposes in mind. They may offer traditional scholarships or customize fund awards for alternative scholarships.

Currently, CFNJ administers more than 135 scholarship funds. Our scholarship opportunities run the gamut, from those exclusive to a local high school or geographic region to those supporting specific majors or career pursuits. Last year, we awarded over $2 million in scholarship assistance to 271 scholars.

Applicants may be evaluated on academic performance; extracurricular activities; community involvement; paid or unpaid work; and a statement of their personal aspirations, educational goals, and demonstrated unmet financial need in our scholarship review process.

Clanseer and Anna Johnson Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to a college-bound, Black/African-American graduating high school senior from the greater Newark area or Paterson who has pursued a rigorous course of study (with particular emphasis on math and science courses). Applicants will show evidence of readiness for and a commitment to pursue a STEM major. Students will be evaluated on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service, work (paid or unpaid), and unmet financial need.