Harris-Stowe State University has been awarded a $2.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiative.

The grant, which will be awarded over five years from the NSF Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program, supports the “Increasing Degree Production through STEM Entrepreneurship and Career Development Activities” initiative. 

According to a release, the program will work to increase recruitment, retention and graduation rates by addressing awareness and challenges of the STEM workforce.

In addition, Harris-Stowe will collaborate with BioSTL and Saint Louis University to provide STEM opportunities for students. Those could include entrepreneurship experiences, professional mentoring, expanded undergraduate research opportunities and internship programs.

The university will officially announce the grant and programs 10 a.m. Monday at the Emerson Performance Center – Bank of America Theatre on the campus of Harris-Stowe, which is led by President Dwaun Warmack.