Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program - Tribal Education Partnership Program

The Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has a vital national security mission to protect the American people by maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear weapons stockpile. This mission could not be accomplished without a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strategies to build capacity, drive innovation, and ensure we have a world class workforce to meet the security demands of the present and future. As quoted from the White House's report, Charting A Course For Success: America's Strategy for STEM Education, The pace of innovation is accelerating globally, and with it the competition for scientific and technical talent. Now more than ever the innovation capacity of the United States and its prosperity and security depends on an effective and inclusive STEM education ecosystem.

NNSA continues to be at the forefront of incorporating STEM into its mission priorities. In the recently released NNSA Strategic Vision , the Administrator included mission priority #4 which directly relates to STEM: Strengthen key science, technology, and engineering capabilities.

NNSA works with educational institutions and industry partners from across the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) to achieve this mission priority through three major pathways: collaborative research; capacity building/pipeline development; and recruitment, retention, and development of a world class workforce.

The Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) is a vital program within the DOE/NNSA Management and Budget, Learning and Career Management which awards grants to Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) to prepare NNSA's next-generation technical workforce. MSIPP aligns investments in university capacity and workforce development with DOE/NNSA mission areas to develop the needed skills and talent for DOE/NNSA's enduring technical workforce and to enhance research and education at MSIs. The program's primary mission is to create and foster a sustainable STEM-pipeline that prepares a diverse workforce of world class talent through strategic partnerships between Minority Serving Institutions and the DOE/NNSA Enterprise. To execute this mission, MSIPP builds a network of NSE ready students through enrichment activities from K-20 to post-doctoral level. Through university-lab consortia partnerships students are exposed to cutting-edge research and activities in their relevant fields. The Tribal Education Partnership Program (TEPP) is a sub-program within MSIPP that specifically awards grants to Tribal College and Universities (TCUs) in support of MSIPP's mission.

The following MSIPP crucial success factors apply to TEPP and drive this FOA:

1. Strengthen and expand MSI (TCU) STEM capacity and research experience in NNSA/DOE mission areas of interest.

2. Target collaborations between MSIs (TCUs) and NNSA/DOE Laboratories and Plants that increase scientist-to-scientist interactions, visible participation of MSI (TCU) faculty in NNSA/DOE technical engagements and activities and provide MSIs direct access to NNSA/DOE facilities relative to STEM.

3. Grow the number of minority students who graduate with STEM degrees.

4. Grow the number of minority graduates and post-doctoral students hired in to NNSA/DOE's STEM workforce.