The McNair Scholars Program is funded by a federal grant under the Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Achievement Program.
As a recipient of this prestigious grant, IUP joins Penn State in Pennsylvania—and approximately 150 other universities and colleges nationally—to host a McNair Scholars Program.
The McNair grant is one of seven TRIO programs established in 1989 by Congress in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, who served as the mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on its disastrous 1986 flight.
Our Mission
The aim of the program is to provide scholars with a comprehensive program of academic support services and preparation for graduate study. McNair Scholars gain demonstrable research skills, knowledge on how to access and succeed in graduate school, and access to a network of scholarly professionals and peers. The long-term goal of the program is to increase the number of doctoral students who come from low-income, first-generation families and underrepresented groups.