National Stem Cell Foundation

When you Give for Good, you help NSCF fund big ideas.

And thanks to a generous anonymous donor, your gift is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000.

National Stem Cell Foundation works at the intersection of research, education, and advocacy — funding adult stem cell research, supporting middle school science teachers through the National STEM Scholar Program, and helping children access clinical trials through our advocacy work. 

This September, our Give for Good Louisville campaign is highlighting our support of middle school STEM education and the National STEM Scholar Program.

Every middle school science teacher has a big idea worth funding — a robotics lab, a rocketry program, an aquaponics system — but often no funding or network to make it real. NSCF and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University select 10 teachers nationwide each year, fully fund their "big idea" Challenge Project, and bring them together for a week of hands-on training every June. Scholars are then invited to present their work at the National Science Teaching Association's National Conference.

Middle School Science Matters

Research shows student interest in science drops sharply between sixth and seventh grade. The National STEM Scholar Program meets that moment head-on — reaching students through the adult already in the room, before they disengage from STEM pathways for good. In many of the rural and high-poverty communities Scholars serve, that teacher is the only adult connecting classroom science to a real-world career.

Eleven Years of Impacting STEM Education

The Ripple Effect 

A funded Challenge Project rarely stays inside one classroom. Local employers, healthcare and engineering professionals, and community organizations — from conservation groups supporting aquaponics work to hospitals supporting design projects — get pulled in alongside the students. For many families, it's their first direct look at what a STEM career actually looks like.

Two of NSCF's National STEM Scholars, JJ Frye and Amanda Huff,  teach right here in Kentucky. Your gift reaches your own backyard, and 108 classrooms beyond it.

Dine with a Purpose

Add a little extra to Give for Good week: enjoy dinner at Porcini on September 9 or 10, where a portion of the evening's proceeds will support NSCF. Reserve your table here!

Your Gift Is Matched Up to $25,000

Every gift made to NSCF during Give for Good Louisville is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000, thanks to a generous anonymous donor. When you give, a teacher's big idea gets twice the funding behind it.

Give in Honor of a Teacher
Every National STEM Scholar started as someone's student. If a teacher ever made you believe you could do something big, dedicate your gift to them!

1. At checkout, open the optional "Dedication" section.
2. Choose "Dedicated to" and enter the teacher's name.
3. Want them to know? Check "Send an email" and enter their email address (not your own) — we'll let them know a gift was made in their honor.

Learn More About the NSCF

The National STEM Scholar Program is one part of our work. We also fund adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, and help cover clinical-trial costs for children with rare diseases through our Pediatric Promise Fund with the Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy program (PTCT) at Duke University.

Learn more about all of our work at nationalstemcellfoundation.org.