Lessons Learned from Replicating a Graduate STEM Mental Health Initiative at an Urban HBCU

Graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students face significant mental health challenges, yet little research examines how well-being interventions transfer across institutional contexts. This study uses an implementation science lens to examine lessons learned from replicating the Mental Health Opportunities for Professional Empowerment in STEM (M-HOPES) initiative at an urban Historically Black University. Employing a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, baseline survey data from 24 STEM students and faculty were analyzed descriptively and thematically to assess contextual fit, engagement, and structural barriers. Findings indicate that financial precarity, institutional overload, and mentoring variability shape program feasibility and student resilience. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of replicating a graduate STEM mental health initiative within an urban HBCU, advancing implementation science by identifying structural and cultural conditions that influence intervention sustainability.