UNL McNair Scholars Program
The UNL McNair Scholars Program is administered through the UNL Office of Graduate Studies and funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Program serves selected undergraduates—minority and first generation students with financial need—who historically have been underrepresented in graduate education, with the aim of increasing the number of these students in U.S. doctoral programs.
How the McNair Program Began
Ronald E. McNair, the second African American to fly in space, always strove for excellence and overcame the limits of his family’s modest financial background to eventually earn a Ph.D. from MIT. Nationally recognized for his work in laser physics, he joined NASA in 1978. His promising career was cut short in 1986 when he and six other crew members perished in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program honors his memory and his commitment to scholarship and professional accomplishment.
What McNair Scholars Do
The program is structured around research and scholarly activities. McNair Scholars:
• engage in research and collaborate with faculty mentors
• develop and deliver professional research presentations
• attend graduate school preparation seminars and workshops
What McNair Scholars Receive
By participating in the Program, students acquire the research training and resources needed to apply to and complete a Ph.D. program. Scholars receive:
• mentoring from some of UNL’s top faculty and graduate students
• a research grant as well as room and board during the Summer Research Experience
• travel funding to national conferences to formally present research to faculty and peers
• GRE preparation
• graduate school application fees waivers to over 200 universities (ranging from $50-$120 per application)
• funding to visit prospective graduate schools to meet with faculty and graduate students • eligibility to apply for McNair fellowships at some of the most prestigious universities in the nation
Mentor-Scholar Collaboration
The Mentor-Scholar relationship is a vital part of the UNL McNair Scholars Program experience. Faculty and graduate student mentors play an important role in helping Scholars enhance their research skills and reach academic goals by:
• directing scholarly research activities through the McNair Summer Research Experience and UCARE
• preparing Scholars for graduate education
• promoting Scholars’ professional development
McNair Scholar Qualifications
An undergraduate student who wishes to apply to the UNL McNair Scholars Program must be:
• a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• a full-time student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• a sophomore or junior who will have earned at least 52 hours prior to McNair summer research and has a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 or above AND
• EITHER a first-generation college student whose income does not exceed the maximum level established by the U.S. Department of Education OR a member of a group underrepresented in graduate education (African American, Native American/Alaska Native, and Hispanic)
McNair Scholar Commitment
• You need to be willing to participate in all McNair sponsored events until you graduate with your bachelor's degree, including the 2023-24 academic year colloquia and the 2024 McNair Summer Research Experience in Lincoln.
• You need to be committed to a career path in which a Ph.D. is required.
Applications are due by Saturday, April 15th!
Applications for participation in the McNair Program are accepted annually. Students who meet the program qualifications may apply at https://mcnair.unl.edu/apply.
For more information about the McNair Scholars Program, call 402-472-5062 or email mcnair2@unl.edu. Program staff can provide an overview of the McNair Scholars Program at UNL, visit with potential applicants about their long-term academic and professional career interests, and explain the application process in detail. The UNL McNair Scholars Program serves 28 students each year. Eight to twelve new McNair Scholars are selected annually to participate in both academic year and summer activities.
Since the UNL McNair Scholars Program began in 1995, we have served 335 students and 97.8 percent have earned their bachelor’s degree. Fifty-seven UNL McNair Program alumni have achieved Ph.D.s, 160 have earned master’s degrees, and 23 have earned professional degrees. Currently, 22 UNL McNair alumni are enrolled in Ph.D. programs, 10 are pursuing master’s degrees, and 2 are pursuing professional degrees at some of the most prestigious institutions across the United States.