The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network will conduct a two-day outreach forum and related follow-up activities to provide information and gather input from Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) regarding program components and requirements for a proposed NSF HSI-STEM initiative focused on STEM education and research capacity building for HSIs. Seventy-five (50 four-year/university and 25 two-year) High Hispanic Enrollment (>25%) higher education institutions will be invited to send a two-member STEM faculty team to the outreach forum Following the Forum, QEM will draft, distribute for comment, revise, and provide a report to NSF's Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) on information, concerns, and recommendations gathered at the Forum. The goal of the Forum is to assist HRD in gathering broadly representative, informed, and comprehensive input regarding essential program components and requirements for an HSI-STEM initiative. The Forum will actively engage teams from HSIs in plenary and breakout sessions to: (1) ensure that faculty at HSIs have an opportunity to inform the development of an NSF STEM education and research capacity-building program to address their needs; and (2) identify critical needs in STEM undergraduate education and research at HSIs.
