The University of California, Los Angeles, in partnership with the co-creator and cast and crew of the television sitcom The Big Bang Theory, has announced the launch of an endowment fund that will provide financial aid to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM fields.

The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment already has raised more than $4 million, including an initial donation from the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation and gifts from nearly fifty people associated with the show, including stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch; executive producers Bill Prady and Steven Molaro; and members of the crew. Warner Bros. Television, CBS, and other corporate partners also have contributed to the fund.

For the 2015-16 academic year, twenty Big Bang Theory scholars will be selected to receive financial assistance. Every year after that, five additional scholars will be chosen. Scholarships will be awarded to low-income students who have earned admission to UCLA based on academic merit but who need additional support to bridge the gap between typical levels of financial aid and the cost of attendance.

Now in its eighth season, The Big Bang Theory follows the lives of a group of young physicists. Bialik, the Emmy-nominated actress who plays Amy Farrah Fowler, earned a doctorate in neuroscience as well as a bachelor's degree from UCLA, while the program's science consultant David Saltzberg, is a UCLA professor of physics and astronomy. According to the university, this is the first time a scholarship endowment has been created at UCLA by the cast and crew of a television series.

"We have all been given a gift with The Big Bang Theory, a show that's not only based in the scientific community, but also enthusiastically supported by that same community. This is our opportunity to give back," said Lorre. "In that spirit, our Big Bang family has made a meaningful contribution, and together we’ll share in the support of these future scholars, scientists, and leaders."