The McNair Scholars Program, named after physicist and astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair, is designed to increase the number of Ph.D. recipients from underrepresented and underserved populations in graduate school. The program supports undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors in achieving their educational and professional goals through research and other scholarly activities. Visit here to learn more The McNair Scholars Program is a federally-funded TRIO program with many eligibility requirements. Please get in touch with our program director, Dr. Kayunta Johnson-Winters at kayunta@uta.edu, or coordinator, Ms. Kearra Greer at kearra.greer@uta.edu with questions about the program, eligibility, and/or the application. FOR ELIGIBILITY: • You must be low income (according to federal definitions) AND be a "first-generation college student" (parents/legal guardians did not complete a four-year degree, or you were a ward of the court after age 13) • OR be a member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education, defined as the following: Black or African American, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders. YOU MUST ALSO: • have a strong desire to obtain a PhD • be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident • be currently enrolled as a first-time, full-time on-campus undergraduate in a degree program at UTA • be at least a sophomore but not graduating before Dec 2025 • have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA • have 1-2 letters of recommendation from professor(s) [not staff members] Note: This is a competitive application process; eligibility does not guarantee admittance into the program. RECOMMENDATION(S): In addition to completing this form, you must have at least one recommendation from a professor. We accept up to two recommendations. Students who transferred to UTA in Fall 2024 can have a recommendation from their previous institution; otherwise, letters should come from UTA professors. After you have spoken with a professor who has agreed to recommend you, have them email the recommendations to rosa.palacio@uta.edu with the email title: McNair Scholars Applicant: Student name. To verify your eligibility, please bring a copy of your student aid report (SAR) to Nedderman Hall (2nd floor) 246.