Flexibility to Conformity: How Federal Grant Mechanisms May Unintentionally Result in the Convergence of STEM Education Program Designs

Abstract Federal funding programs shape institutional behavior in higher education by signaling preferred practices and structures for reform. This paper examines how the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program influences institutional program design through its request for proposals. Using isomorphism as a theoretical framework, we analyze how guidance, examples, and expectations embedded in the S-STEM funding call encourage convergence among competing institutions, even as the program rhetorically promotes local adaptation and innovation. Drawing on qualitative analysis of program surveys and interviews we identify recurring patterns in program activities and partnerships that reflect alignment with the language and emphases of the call. Our findings show that institutions frequently design initiatives that mirror highlighted exemplars and recommended strategies, narrowing the range of institutional responses over time. We argue that federal grant mechanisms in higher education can unintentionally constrain experimentation by rewarding recognizable, isomorphic designs, with implications for the scope of institutional innovation and the long-term capacity of higher education systems to respond adaptively to emerging educational and societal needs.