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This research-to-practice full paper describes a cohort-based undergraduate research program designed to improve STEM retention through structured mentoring and community building. Drawing on the Affinity Research Group (ARG) model, the program fosters faculty-student research collaboration and integrates faculty mentorship training, student-led peer mentoring, and structured interventions, such as research skills workshops and networking events. Each year, faculty from biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, and mathematics lead small-group research projects with recruited students who may participate for up to three years. Faculty and students receive ARG training to promote consistent mentoring practices. A credit-bearing, major-specific first-year orientation course supports recruitment and reinforces students’ scientific identity. Faculty also engage in professional development workshops to strengthen student-centered mentoring approaches. Data collection includes surveys, interviews, retention tracking, and weekly journaling to assess STEM identity, belonging, and skill development. External evaluators reviewed the faculty focus groups to assess mentoring effectiveness. Initial findings show strong faculty engagement with the ARG model, with many adopting adaptive mentoring strategies that enhance student support. Students report increased confidence and belonging within their disciplines. However, cross-disciplinary collaboration remains limited, highlighting the need for more intentional networking within the cohort. Students also emphasized the value of peer collaboration alongside faculty mentorship. These results suggest that undergraduate research can serve as a powerful tool for building community and supporting persistence in STEM. Ongoing efforts will focus on expanding networking opportunities, strengthening peer collaboration, and evaluating long-term impacts on student retention.
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This content will become publicly available on February 11, 2026
SAFE Passage to Social and Academic Support: First Year STEM Identity and Belonging Interventions for Under-resourced Students
Institutions of higher education continue to grapple with the challenges associated with increasing access to STEM learning and STEM majors for resource-limited students. Longstanding differences among well and under-resourced student groups with respect to STEM course enrollment, STEM major retention and persistence, and research opportunities persist despite decades of research on interventions. This article reports on outcomes of a cohort-based, multi-pronged S-STEM scholarship program at a small liberal arts institution for Pell-eligible first-year students that focuses on reducing college transition anxiety; building peer and mentor networks in STEM; providing gateway science course cohort learning; and layering multiple levels of advising and experiential learning. Results suggest that student participants enroll in more STEM courses, demonstrate lower rates of attrition, participate in experiential learning opportunities at much higher rates, and exhibit higher rates of STEM identity, identification as a scientist, and a sense of belonging in science than students in reference and/or control groups. Using mixed-methods data from surveys and focus groups, key components of program success are identified and discussed.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2030650
- PAR ID:
- 10635218
- Publisher / Repository:
- Institute for STEM Education and Research
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research
- Volume:
- 25
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 1557-5284
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 20 to 32
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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