Funded by the Tensor Foundation, the Tensor Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematics Achievement (SUMMA) Grants support initiatives aimed at fostering a love for mathematics among students from historically underrepresented groups. These groups include Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students. The grants support projects for middle school, high school, and college/university students.

Each year, we welcome proposals from college and university mathematical sciences faculty, often in collaboration with middle and high school math teachers. These projects are designed to offer enriching mathematical experiences beyond the standard curriculum. Middle and high school teachers are strongly encouraged to partner with college and university faculty to develop proposals that will benefit their students.

Guidelines for Project Design

• The project should focus on participants who are middle school, high school, and/or college or university students from historically underrepresented groups.
• Project activities should provide enrichment and extension that foster a heightened interest in and appreciation of mathematics.
• The project should encourage students to continue their studies in mathematics in high school and college and better prepare them for those studies.
• Project design should incorporate strategies that have been shown to effectively increase achievement among underrepresented minority groups.
• Projects may be conducted during the summer, school year, weekends, or after school. They should be designed to run for a sufficient duration to engage participants in learning and applying new, intriguing mathematics that they would not otherwise encounter in their classes.
• Tensor SUMMA Grants are not intended to provide remedial assistance to students who need help to succeed in their current mathematics coursework.

Funding Details

• Each project grant is capped at $6,000.
• Applications will be accepted from college and university mathematical sciences faculty at accredited U.S. (including U.S. Territory), or Canadian AUCC-member institutions.
• Faculty must be working with middle or high school mathematics faculty if the project targets those students, but the college/university must be the fiscal agent.
• In-kind institutional support is expected as an indication of commitment to the project. 
• No indirect costs or fringe benefits are supported.
• Funds may be used to supplement existing projects in order to increase the number of minority students participating in those projects or may be used to initiate new projects. Participation may not be barred to members of any group, but it must be clear that the project will seek to recruit and serve participants from historically underrepresented groups.

Restrictions

• A project may only be funded three times by the MAA Tensor programs. Grant recipients must reapply each year, should they wish to continue their projects.
• Funding for the Tensor programs is limited, and the MAA will make every attempt to support a broad range of projects from various geographic locations. If any department is interested in submitting more than one proposal, the proposals must support different programs and must have different personnel.
• A proposal submitted to multiple programs in the same year will only be considered for one. The Program Directors will decide which program it is best suited for, and reject it from the other programs.

Timeline

The MAA Tensor SUMMA program is a yearly award cycle and follows the approximate timeline below.

• November 2024: Application portal opens.
• February 2025: Applications are due.
• April 2025: Notification of award.
• May 2025-May 2026: Projects may be conducted during summer, during the school year, on weekends, or after school during this timeframe.

Project activities should conclude by May 31, 2026 if awarded in 2025. A final report narrative on activities and a final financial report must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

If you are a current Tensor SUMMA grant seeking a renewal, you may apply in the 2025 cycle by submitting a new application and including a summary of progress to date. Unexpended funds from a previous Tensor grant may be carried forward but require significant justification before approval.

Contact Us

For further information regarding proposed projects, please contact the MAA Tensor SUMMA Program Director Candice Price at cprice@smith.edu.

For consultation on your ideas for projects, potential applicants are encouraged to contact the MAA Tensor Proposal Advisor, Alicia Prieto Langarica at aprietolangarica@ysu.edu. 

For technical information regarding submission of your proposal, contact the MAA Programs Staff at programs@maa.org.