There will be two cohorts of STEM-TLAR2C Fellows with Cohort 1 beginning the Ed.D. in Educational Practice and Innovation with a concentration in STEM Education in Summer 2027 and Cohort 2 beginning in Fall 2027. STEM-TLAR2C applications are due December 15, 2026 (to begin the degree in Summer 2027) and February 15, 2027 (to begin the degree in Fall 2027).

Applications for the STEM Ed.D. degree program are due February 15, 2027 (to begin the degree in Summer 2027) and April 15, 2027 (to begin the degree in Fall 2027).

 

Benefits of the STEM-TLAR2C Cohort

1. An annual stipend and funding on top of district salary for five years totaling $94,225 which includes funding to complete STEM-TLAR2C project components such as the Ed.D. STEM degree program and travel to professional conferences.
   
   
2. Completion of the USC Ed.D. STEM degree program, a 3.5+ year program with tuition costs close to $40,000. NOTE: Application to the STEM-TLAR2C does not guarantee Ed.D. STEM acceptance. Applicants must apply and be accepted into both programs.
   
   
3. Dissertation in Practice (DiP) writing support while enrolled in the Ed.D. STEM program. Guidance and support in developing and extending the DiP into actionable outcomes in your local settings.
   
   
4. Experience presenting at state/national professional conferences. Experience in writing for publication. Text and other professional resources to support development as a teacher leader.

 

Eligibility Requirements

You must attend a virtual information session to apply for the fellowship. Information sessions will be held virtually on October 19, October 20, December 7, and December 8, 6:30-7:30 EST. Register online here.

Email the project team at uscnoyce@sc.edu with questions.

In order to be eligible to join the cohort, you must meet the following requirements:

Expand allRequirements for STEM Teacher Leadership through Action Research in Rural Communities

• A public K-12 teacher who teaches at least 50% in a STEM area, such as mathematics or science, in a rural school in a high-need district.
• At least 3 years experience (5 years preferred) as a fully-licensed teacher.
• Possession of valid teaching license.
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident status.
• Master’s degree in a STEM field, education, or comparable field (completed by May 2027).
• Adequate wireless and bandwidth resources to sustain online participation such as live video streaming.

Additionally, you must demonstrate the following: 

• Evidence of teaching effectiveness by supporting documentation of teacher impact on student outcomes, including results from state standardized tests or other standard measures (for example, MAP results, End-of-course test results). Additional evidence of teaching effectiveness documentation may also be requested such as teaching videos and supporting student work.
  
  
• Evidence of advanced content knowledge as evidenced by a strong passing score on either the content Praxis, National Board Certification content exam, GRE, or other recognized validated assessment of STEM content knowledge.
  
  
• Intent to apply for the USC Ed.D. STEM online degree that results in program acceptance. Commitment to participate in the 5-year STEM-TLAR2C program that will require completion of the Ed.D. STEM program, including attending project meetings during the summer and academic year, implementation and development of Dissertation in Practice action research, conference attendance and other project activities and research data collection.
• Commitment to remain in a rural school in a high-need district for the duration of the project.
  • If you decide to leave STEM-TLAR2C or a qualified school, the stipend becomes a loan that must be repaid.

 

Interested applicants should complete the STEM TLAR2C application.