UH Hilo STEM Legacy Threatened

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s nearly 20-year involvement in a national effort to support underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has come to an end, following the termination of federal funding for the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program.

Since 2006, UH Hilo has led the Islands of Opportunity Alliance (IOA), using LSAMP support to provide mentorship, research stipends and academic pathways for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and first-generation college students

Over the years, LSAMP empowered nearly 400 UH Hilo students—and more than 1,300 across the region—through transformative experiences that propelled many into graduate programs and leadership positions in Hawaiʻi’s STEM workforce. Until its recent termination, the grant also supported students at UH Mānoa, UH West Oʻahu, Chaminade, Hawaiʻi Pacific University, the University of Guam, and numerous community colleges throughout the Pacific.

‘Not in alignment with current NSF Priorities’

On May 2, 2025, UH Hilo received official notice from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that LSAMP funding would be terminated, effective immediately, representing a loss of nearly $2.3 million in support over the next five years. The NSF offered the following justification for its decision: “termination of certain awards is necessary because they are not in alignment with current NSF Priorities.”

LSAMP joins a growing list of federally funded programs across the UHsystem affected by evolving national grant priorities—more than 80 programs have been impacted to date.

Keaholoa STEM Scholars Program Also Impacted

Next Steps

UH Hilo leadership remains committed to building on the foundation LSAMP and Keaholoa established—finding new ways to support students, advance equity in STEM, and honor the programs’ enduring impact.

“The community we’ve built around these programs is strong,” said LSAMP Program Director Joseph Genz, “and we’re doing everything we can to keep that momentum going.”