Opportunity Overview
Open West Virginia STEM education funding opportunity. The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission STaR Division is accepting proposals for the Opportunity Grants & Sponsorships Program, STaR.OGP.2027. The program supports STEM education, demonstrates the value of STEM in West Virginia, and supports people in STEM careers. Typical funded activities include camps and workshops for West Virginia residents, STEM participation initiatives, out-of-state travel to scientific conferences or for research, and sponsorship of statewide scientific or technical events.
Funding and Timing
Maximum award: $5,000. STaR anticipates up to eight awards and up to $40,000 in total program funding. Awards are cost-reimbursable and may run for up to one year. No cost share is required. STaR states that leveraged internal or external support may strengthen a proposal.
Program window: July 1, 2026 until June 2027 or until funding is exhausted. The RFP states that proposals will be reviewed on October 1, then on December 1 if funding remains, and thereafter on a rolling basis while funds remain. No exact June closing day, clock time, or time zone is published, so Atlas does not infer one.
Eligibility
Eligible organizations include West Virginia four-year colleges and universities, community and technical colleges, public and private K-12 schools, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and state, county, or city governmental agencies. Eligible principal investigators are full-time college or university faculty, school principals, nonprofit directors, or governmental agency heads. No institution, organization, or agency may submit more than one proposal per year, subject to limited fiscal-agent exceptions. Investigators who received awards in the prior two years are not eligible to apply.
Application and Budget Rules
Proposals must be submitted through the STaR Grant Opportunity (GO!) system. The application requires a one-page project summary, an up-to-800-word project description, project performance dates, and a budget showing estimated costs and contributions from the applicant and partners. Vendor quotes are encouraged when applicable. Event sponsorship requests should include available sponsorship levels and benefits.
Overhead and faculty salaries are not allowed. General office computers, printers, software, and general office supplies are also excluded. Allowable categories include materials, travel, meeting expenses, and special equipment for outreach purposes when specifically tied to the proposed project. Expenditures must be completed within the award period and reimbursement invoices must include receipts. One-time no-cost extensions may be considered but are generally disallowed.
N9+ and Dr. Miltie Fit
N9+ Fit Score: 62/100, conditional. The strongest pathway is a legitimate healthcare-STEM outreach or instructional project in which an eligible applicant independently determines that the Nonagon N9+ remote physical examination platform is appropriate special equipment for outreach, simulation, health-science education, or a related STEM engagement activity. The RFP expressly permits project-specific special outreach equipment and encourages vendor quotes, but it does not preapprove N9+ or telehealth equipment. Any N9+ inclusion must stay within the $5,000 award ceiling and the applicant’s approved project scope.
QC Healthcare Fit Score: 15/100, conditional. The program primarily funds STEM education and outreach rather than clinical care delivery. Dr. Miltie, LLC direct-applicant fit: 0/100. A for-profit LLC is not among the listed eligible applicant classes. The realistic Dr. Miltie role is vendor or project partner to an eligible West Virginia organization.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 84/100. The program is broadly accessible across West Virginia education, nonprofit, and government sectors, requires no match, allows project-specific outreach equipment, and remains open for an extended period. Constraints include the $5,000 award ceiling, the one-proposal-per-organization annual limit, prior-award PI restriction, strong competition, and the possibility that funds may be exhausted before June 2027.
High-Fit West Virginia Applicant Example
BridgeValley Community and Technical College: 96/100 organizational opportunity fit. BridgeValley is an eligible West Virginia community and technical college with active nursing, EMS, allied-health, respiratory-therapy, and simulation education. Its WIN Academy nursing pathway exposes high-school students to current nursing technologies, hands-on learning, simulation labs, and health and wellness concepts. This creates a credible applicant-controlled pathway for a healthcare-STEM outreach or simulation project, subject to BridgeValley’s one-proposal limit and confirmation that the selected PI has not received an Opportunity Grant in the prior two years.
Submission and Contacts
Submission is through the STaR Grant Opportunity (GO!) system. Program questions: Dr. Janet Rorrer, Senior Director, janet.rorrer@wvresearch.org, 304-352-6322. GO! technical assistance: Dr. Quinn Clark, Associate Director, quinn.clark@wvresearch.org, 304-352-6349.
Official Sources
West Virginia HEPC STaR – Opportunity Grant Program