DURHAM, N.H. - Up to 25 promising high school students from New Hampshire will share $50,000 in scholarships to attend Project SMART, the University of New Hampshire's residential summer institute focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $3,700 for the four-week institute, will go to high-achieving students currently in 10th and 11th grade. Amounts awarded will be based on merit and demonstrated financial need.

"As New Hampshire and the nation strive to meet the growing demand for a STEM-educated workforce, these scholarships will serve to prime the STEM pipeline by removing financial barriers to this outstanding program," says Mark Rubinstein, vice president of student and academic services at UNH.

Founded in 1992, Project SMART drew students only from New Hampshire for its first five years; they attended the program at no cost. In recent years, however, students from around New England, the nation, and select international schools have far outnumbered those from New Hampshire; just about a quarter of the 45 students have been Granite Staters.

"This scholarship fund will be a real boost for bringing Project SMART back to New Hampshire," says Project SMART founder and director Subhash Minocha, professor of plant biology and genetics at UNH. "We are grateful to President Huddleston for designating this scholarship funding to Project SMART."

Project SMART (Science and Mathematics Achievement Research Training), which runs July 1 - 25, 2014 at UNH, offers hands-on research-based learning in three modules: biotechnology and nanotechnology, space science, and marine and environmental science. Students live in UNH residence halls, undertake authentic research projects alongside UNH faculty, and participate in field trips around the state while earning UNH credits.

Project SMART receives support from the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the New Hampshire Space Grant Consortium, NH EPSCoR Grant from NSF, and private foundations and companies. To learn more about Project SMART, or to apply, go to http://www.smart.unh.edu/index.html.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,300 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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