Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program | DE FOA 0002144

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002144

The Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) is a Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) discretionary grant program designed to strengthen Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) while also building the next generation of technical talent needed across the NNSA enterprise. The program sits within DOE/NNSA Management and Budget, Learning and Career Management, and it focuses on aligning investments in university capacity, research, and workforce development with NNSA mission areas. In practical terms, MSIPP funds efforts that both improve STEM education and research capability at MSIs and create clearer, better-supported pathways for students to enter NNSA-related science and engineering careers.

At the center of the opportunity is the goal of creating a sustainable STEM pipeline that produces a diverse workforce with the skills NNSA needs for its long-term technical mission. MSIPP aims to do this by supporting strategic partnerships between MSIs and the DOE/NNSA enterprise, including laboratories and plants. These partnerships are meant to move beyond one-off collaborations by building university-lab consortia and ongoing engagement that expose students and faculty to relevant, cutting-edge research environments and real-world mission problems. The program emphasizes developing "NSE-ready" students (nuclear security enterprise ready) through enrichment and training activities spanning a wide range of educational stages, from K-20 through postdoctoral training, with the intention of supporting continuous development rather than isolated experiences.

The opportunity lays out several core success factors that guide what MSIPP expects funded projects to achieve. First, it seeks to strengthen and expand MSI STEM capacity and deepen research experience specifically in DOE/NNSA mission areas, which implies not just student support but also faculty development, research infrastructure, curriculum improvements, and the ability to compete and contribute in mission-relevant technical fields. Second, it prioritizes targeted collaborations with DOE/NNSA laboratories and plants that increase direct scientist-to-scientist interactions, raise the visibility of MSI faculty in NNSA technical activities, and provide meaningful access to DOE/NNSA facilities for STEM research and training. Third, it aims to increase the number of minority students completing STEM degrees, emphasizing measurable progress in retention, graduation, and preparation. Fourth, it explicitly targets increased hiring outcomes by growing the number of minority STEM graduates and postdoctoral researchers who ultimately enter the DOE/NNSA workforce.

From an eligibility and administrative standpoint, the funding opportunity is listed as DE FOA 0002144 under CFDA 81.123, offered by the Department of Energy, NNSA. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is education, reflecting the program's combined focus on academic capacity-building and workforce pipeline development. The opportunity anticipated up to six awards, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award. The posting information shows a creation date of December 30, 2019, with an original closing date of March 4, 2020.

Overall, MSIPP is best understood as a workforce-and-capacity program: it is meant to help MSIs build stronger STEM programs and research partnerships while simultaneously helping DOE/NNSA develop a deeper, more diverse bench of future scientists, engineers, and technical professionals. The strongest proposals under this kind of program typically align tightly to NNSA mission needs, demonstrate credible and active lab/plant partnerships, and include clear plans to produce measurable outcomes in student training, degree completion, research engagement, and eventual placement into NNSA-related career pathways.

• The Department of Energy, NNSA in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.123.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 30, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 04, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for DE FOA 0002144

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