The NSTMF was founded nearly thirty years ago on the belief that scientific and technological advancement are potent agents of positive change.
Our mission then was focused on celebrating the women, men, and companies who received the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation – the nation’s highest STEM honors.
In the last five years, the Foundation has evolved dramatically. Today, we not only celebrate STEM excellence, but we also work to build inclusive, diverse, and equitable STEM communities that support all who wish to endeavor there. With our Unscripted Series, inSTEM mentoring program, Experts Connect Program, and Virtual STEM Spotlights, we are committed to creating these types of supportive STEM communities.
Through our programs, we seek to:
- Lower the STEM attrition rate among college students from underrepresented groups
- Give students and teachers the tools they need to create more inclusive STEM communities on campuses across the country
- Build an alliance across academia, government, industry, and nonprofit sectors to give students access to a broader, more comprehensive support network
- Elevate voices that have historically been left out of the conversation so that more students can visualize their own successful career in STEM
- Honor STEM’s high achievers by including them in the work of building equitable communities