As part of its ongoing effort to improve math and science education, the National Science Foundation awarded the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire a $500,000 grant last month.

The grant will help fund the university's Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.

A majority of the money will provide need-based scholarships for students in the math and science fields, and a portion of the money will be put toward other student services.

"The project isn't just giving money, but helping students succeed in science fields," said Duncan McBride, program director for NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

UW-Eau Claire has very strong science programs with a committed faculty, McBride said, adding the new grant will allow the school to expand the breadth of science and math majors eligible for grant money.

Fifteen percent of the grant money not used for scholarships will finance visiting speakers, field trips, student support services, supplies and recruiting visits.

Michael Howe, a math professor at UW-Eau Claire and author of the grant, expressed his happiness with the award.

"It's a very competitive program," Howe said. "The National Science Foundation doesn't give half-a- million dollars away to just anybody."

NSF is a federal agency that awards grants for scientific research to colleges around the nation. Grant proposals received by the foundation are reviewed by four to six outside scientists, whose opinions are passed on to the NSF staff for its own review.

About six months after submitting their grant, UW-Eau Claire received word that its proposal was going to be funded. The university was awarded one of the 115 grants chosen from the 372 total applications submitted.

Four years ago, $400,000 was granted to support the Excellence in Mathematics and Computer Science program, Howe's first program.

"Part of our success with this program is that we had success with our last grant," Howe said.

And the $500,000 grant is not the only money UW-Eau Claire will be receiving to support students in science and math.

"The UW-Eau Claire Foundation is enthusiastically engaging in raising the additional $100,000 in scholarship dollars," Carole Halberg, president of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, said. "This agreement to do so was part of the grant application process and is a good example of how public and private money works together to provide optimal opportunity for our students."