U.S. Department of Education 

STEM Investments 

FY18-20

FY 2020

Of the FY 2020 STEM education investments, the Department awarded $141 million in new 

grants and $437 million to continue existing projects that are making substantial progress 

toward their goals. 

Approximately $156 million supported projects with a focus on computer science. Several of 

the STEM investments support the Administration's Opportunity Zones Initiative, which fosters 

economic development and job creation in economically distressed communities.

Investments made in FY 2020 include:

• $3.6 million for the Alaska Native Education Equity Program

• $300,000 for Braille training (rehabilitation services demonstrations and training)

• $5.1 million for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

• $5 million for the Comprehensive Centers Program

• $124.7 million for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs 

(Partnership Grants) (GEAR-UP)

• $23 million for Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need

• $25 million for Innovative Approaches to Literacy

• $5.7 million for the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program

• $900,000 for Migrant Education Consortium Incentive Grants (CIG)

• $29 million for the Native Hawaiian Education Program

• $12.6 million for the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP)

• $1.4 million for the Perkins Innovation & Modernization Grant Program

• $300,000 for Strengthening Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving 

Institutions (AANAPISI)

• $2.3 million for Strengthening Native American Nontribal Serving Institutions (NASNTI)

• $1.5 million to provide special education programs in educational technology, media, 

and materials for students with disabilities via a cooperative agreement with the Center 

on Early STEM Learning for Young Children

• $9.3 million to provide special education programs educational technology, media, and 

materials for individuals with disabilities via Stepping Up

• $151.2 million for Federal TRIO Programs

• $73.7 million for Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED)

• $49.4 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP)

• $28.2 million for Education Research Grants Programs

• $1.5 million for the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program

• $4.3 million for the Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Program

• $11.1 million for the Special Education Research Grants Program

• $6.3 million for Research Training in the Education Sciences

• $2.6 million for Research Training in Special Education
FY 2019

The U.S. Department of Education invested $540 million to support science, technology, 

engineering and math (STEM) education, including computer science, through discretionary and 

research grants in Fiscal Year 2019. Of the overall investment, almost $345 million supported 

continuing the work of current grants that support STEM activities that have demonstrated that 

they meet all applicable grant requirements, including making substantial progress towards 

fulfilling the aims of their project proposals. The roughly $200 million in new STEM related 

awards, of which nearly $100 went to projects with a focus on computer science, include:

• Alaska Native Education Equity Program – $1.7 Million

• Braille Training (Rehabilitation Services Demonstrations and Training) – $340,000

• College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) – $4.7 Million

• Comprehensive Centers Program – $5 Million

• Education Innovation and Research (EIR) – $78 million

• Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (State 

Grants) (GEAR-UP) – $30.3 Million

• Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) – $2.8 Million

• Education Research Grants Program – $5 Million

• National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) Program Special Education 

Research Grants Program – $2 Million

• Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program – $5 Million

• Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program – $4 Million

• Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) – $6 Million

• Perkins Innovation & Modernization Grant Program – $1.5 Million

• Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) – $8.4 Million

• Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) – $24 Million

• TRIO – $19 Million (Of the eight TRIO programs, these funds are for Talent Search, 

Upward Bound Math-Science, and Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement.)

FY 2018

In total, the Department obligated $279 million in STEM discretionary grant funds in Fiscal Year 

2018. The Department's efforts to support STEM education, through the Secretary's STEM 

discretionary grant priority, include funding for:

1. Education Innovation and Research (EIR)— $66.8 million

2. Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED)—$28.2 million

3. Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP)—$16.4 million

4. Pathways to Apprenticeship for High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

Students—$3.6 million

5. Innovative approaches to literacy (IAL)—$26.7

6. Indian Education Discretionary Grants Programs: Professional Development Grants 

Program—$6.2 million
7. Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs—$1.2 million

8. GEAR UP Competition: New Partnership Awards—$108 million

9. GEAR UP Competition: New State Awards—$20.4 million

10. Center on Early STEM Learning for Young Children with Disabilities —1.45 million