National Math Stars (NMS) announced today that the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) will invest $30 million to scale its work identifying and supporting mathematically extraordinary young students. Over the next four years, this investment will allow NMS to expand its programs from ten states to a projected 75% of the U.S. population.
Since its founding in 2023, NMS has built a system for finding, recognizing, and supporting the country's most mathematically talented young students. In 2026, NMS worked with three state education agencies and nearly 1,000 school districts to screen 2nd and 3rd graders for math talent. Together, they identified more than 20,000 students who scored in the top 2% on existing standardized math assessments. Each student received an award through the NMS Math Awards Program, and their families received resources to help develop their children's talents.
Awardees are encouraged to apply for long-term support through the Stars Program. NMS runs a merit-based admissions process to identify the most mathematically extraordinary students. Each Star gains access to above-grade-level classes, enrichment experiences, advising, community, and financial support that scales with level of need. Now in its fourth year, the program is supporting more than 900 National Math Stars.
With NSF's support, NMS will expand its Math Awards Program to screen more than 1.8 million 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders each year through its state and district partners. By 2030, NMS will support more than 4,100 Stars in its ten-year programs and be on a trajectory to support 12,000 students annually by 2035. The grant will also fund the design, development, and testing of an AI-assisted digital platform to bring personalized academic guidance to more students at a lower cost per student.
“We aim to find extraordinary young mathematicians in every part of the country and foster their talents,” said Ilana Walder-Biesanz, Founder and CEO of National Math Stars. “These children are a future generation of researchers, inventors, and founders – but early support is essential to make those futures possible. NSF's investment will allow us to grow our programs faster than we imagined.”
"By reaching a large share of the eligible student population and testing new approaches to sustaining engagement and reducing the cost of support, NSF investment in this project will strengthen the nation's long-term scientific and economic competitiveness," said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP. "This will ensure that talented children can develop their abilities regardless of where they live or their family's income."
About National Math Stars
Founded in 2023, National Math Stars is a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure mathematically extraordinary students from all communities have the resources they need to reach the frontiers of math and science. Learn more at www.nationalmathstars.org.
About NSF TIP
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) seeks to engage all Americans in accelerating critical and emerging technologies to advance U.S. competitiveness. The directorate partners across sectors to advance three strategies – accelerating critical and emerging technology, expanding the geography of American innovation and building a competition-ready workforce. For more information about NSF TIP, visit nsf.gov/tip/latest.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008632142/en/
This will ensure that talented children can develop their abilities regardless of where they live or their family's income.
