Lipscomb Noyce Scholars Program

Preparing secondary STEM teachers to teach in high-need schools

NSF logo Do you enjoy math and science and want to make a difference in the lives of kids? Are you interested in being a middle school or high school teacher? The Lipscomb Noyce Scholars Program is a scholarship and outreach program that encourages and supports talented STEM majors to become 6th-12th grade math and science teachers. The goal of this program is to develop highly qualified STEM teachers who are committed to teaching in high-need school districts.

Read the news article about this $1.2 million NSF grant and Lipscomb University's work to recruit future educators.

Metro Nashville Public Schools logo

All across the nation, school districts continually face a shortage of math and science teachers in middle and high schools. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee State Board of Education estimate that only 10% of subject-area endorsements received each year in Tennessee are in a STEM subject. This shortage is particularly acute in high-need school districts that struggle to attract and retain highly-qualified teachers. The Lipscomb Noyce Scholars Program has partnered with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to address this STEM teacher shortage locally. With over 82,000 students, MNPS is the second largest school district in the state of Tennessee and serves a very diverse population of students from various racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Together with MNPS, Lipscomb is working to increase the number of highly-qualified STEM teachers and prepare them with the training and experience needed to be effective in high-need schools.

About the Program

This program is funded through the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Program and is a joint collaboration between Lipscomb's College of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Noyce Scholars receive the following:

Up to $16,500 per year in scholarship money during their junior and senior years
Professional development opportunities in STEM education and culturally responsive teaching
Support for passing teaching licensure exams
Mentoring support throughout their training at Lipscomb and during their first years of teaching

Scholarship recipients are required to complete two years of teaching in a high-need school district for each year of support.

Community college transfer students are especially encouraged to apply.

Applicant Qualifications

Students who meet the following qualifications are eligible to apply for this scholarship:

Citizen of US or permanent resident
Current undergraduate sophomore/junior-level student or have completed a minimum of 45 hours of undergraduate work
Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (biology, chemistry, physics, math, engineering, computer science)
Currently have a 2.75 or better overall grade-point average, with a 2.75 or better average in STEM courses
Must plan to obtain teacher certification upon completion of the program

The Scholarship Committee will interview Noyce finalists in order to determine scholarship recipients. Students selected as Noyce Scholars must be willing to sign a legally-binding agreement to teach in high-need middle or high schools for two years for each year of scholarship is received. Failure to comply will result in the scholarships reverting to student loans as per federal regulations.

How to Apply

Online Application Form

In order to apply, candidates should do the following:

Complete and submit the application
Provide two references for a scholarship recommendation. (One recommendation needs to be from an instructor of an undergraduate STEM course).
Submit an official transcript from any prior undergraduate institutions
Submit a 500 word essay detailing why you are interested in STEM teaching as a profession and passion.

You may contact Dr. Kara Krinks at noyce [at] lipscomb.edu (subject: Lipscomb%20Noyce%20Scholars%20Program) (noyce[at]lipscomb[dot]edu) with any questions. Application deadline for priority consideration is May 31, 2024.

Noyce Scholar Expectations

Lipscomb Noyce Scholar are expected to:

Represent Lipscomb University and the Lipscomb Noyce Scholars Program in a professional manner
Attend all Lipscomb Noyce Scholars events and meetings
Complete all required Noyce assignments
Maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA, overall and within major
Continue to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field with teaching certification
Make satisfactory progress toward completing state teacher licensure requirements
Maintain good standing within the Lipscomb Teacher Education Program

Failure to meet expectations could result in dismissal from the Noyce Scholars Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What STEM majors are eligible to receive the Noyce scholarship?

Noyce identifies STEM-eligible majors as biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, engineering or computer science. Noyce Scholars will work towards a 6th-12th grade teaching certification in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics.

What if I’m not a STEM major?

If you’re not currently a STEM major, you can still apply for this scholarship. In order to receive the scholarship, you will need to switch to a STEM major or a STEM-teaching major. To learn more about this process, reach out to Dr. Kara Krinks, Director of the Noyce Program, at noyce [at] lipscomb.edu (noyce[at]lipscomb[dot]edu).

Do I have to apply every year?

Yes, you have to apply for the Noyce Scholarship each year.

I am at a community college, what do I need to do to apply?

In addition to applying for the Noyce scholarship, you will have to apply and be accepted to
Lipscomb through Lipscomb’s Admissions Department.

How much money is awarded through the Noyce Scholarship?

Scholarships range from $14,000-$16,500 based on financial need. Scholarships cannot
exceed the cost of attendance at Lipscomb.

What is the teaching commitment after I graduate?

After graduation, Noyce Scholars will complete two years of full-time employment as a STEM teacher in a high-need school district for every one year of Noyce funding received. Since the scholarship supports students for up to two years of undergraduate study, this means a maximum commitment of four years in teaching. Scholars have eight years to fulfill the commitment. If the teaching requirement is unmet, participants will be required to repay the amount of NSF Noyce Support received plus any applicable interest.

What does it mean to teach in a high-need local education agency?

The term "high-need local educational agency" is defined by the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021) as a local education agency (i.e. a school district) that has at least
one school in which there is:

a high percentage of individuals from families with incomes below the poverty line;
a high percentage of secondary school teachers not teaching in the content area in which the teachers were trained to teach; or
a high teacher turnover rate.

Do I have to teach in Tennessee?

No. Since the Noyce Scholarship Program is a federal program funded by the National Science Foundation, you can teach anywhere within the United States of America as long as the school you teach in is part of a high-need district.

Meet Our Scholars

Abigail Thompson

Abby is from St. Louis, MO, and is a Mathematics and Mathematics Education major. She loves math because it has always served as a way for people to make sense of the complex and confusing world, giving them the tools to explore topics deeper and get a better understanding of the world we live in. Abby wants to be in a position to make STEM fields more accessible for students of all different backgrounds. She recognizes the power and influence that teachers have over their students and wants to use it for good, to encourage students to chase their dreams no matter what other people tell them is attainable.

Ellen Smith

Ellie is from Georgetown, KY, and is a Biology Education major. She is passionate
about science because it has real-life, often life-changing, applications. She loves
that science is always evolving and there will always be something new to learn. Ellie wants to teach science because she wants to create a safe environment for her
students to make mistakes and learn from them, which is a core practice of scientific
study. She wants to play a part in helping students grow into who they want to be,
even the ones who may not love science as much as she does.

Emily Lanham

Emily is from Nashville, TN, and is a Mathematics Education major. She loves the way that math allows her to develop an understanding of the world around her and to challenge her in different ways. Emily wants to teach math because the math classroom has always been a safe space for her, and she feels it would be such a privilege to be able to give that to someone else.

Madison Middleton

Maddie is from New Baden, IL, and is a Biology Education major. What she loves most about science is unlearning the stereotypes involving the need to be analytical in order to succeed in this field and instead learning the joys and creativity that can stem from a scientific lifestyle. Maddie wants to be a science teacher in order to teach students about what the world has to offer and how they can help it grow and change through the things they learn, do, create, and experience. Students can all choose to be scientists so long as they are asking questions about everything.

Mateen Hasan

Mateen is from Erbil, Iraq, and is a Biology Education major. He loves that science has shown him truth in the world, and he feels he has become an expert at observing and identifying different behaviors in the living things around us. Mateen wants to teach science because he thinks STEM is the key to seeing the world with an ethical and well-learned eye. He believes that without a good sense of STEM in the coming generation, our society stands to sacrifice a very fruitful age of innovation and opportunity. It is the work of dedicated STEM teachers that will produce this generation of innovators and inventors.