Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program

Stored: Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program

Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	National Nuclear Security Administration
Top Organization	Department of Energy
Creation Legislation	National Nuclear Security Administration Act
Website	Website
Purpose	The Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program strengthens STEM education and research at Minority Serving Institutions to build a diverse workforce for the Nuclear Security Enterprise. It fosters partnerships between these institutions and DOE/NNSA laboratories to support national security missions.
Program Start	2014
Initial Funding	Not specified; funded through annual appropriations
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) is a Department of Energy initiative led by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) capabilities at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The program strengthens STEM education and research at these institutions to build a diverse, highly skilled workforce for the Nuclear Security Enterprise, fostering partnerships with DOE/NNSA laboratories to support national security missions through grants, internships, and collaborative projects. A key feature is its focus on equity, providing opportunities for underrepresented students in fields like cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear engineering.

Official Site

Goals

• Increase STEM capacity at MSIs through funded research and education projects.
• Develop a diverse talent pipeline for NNSA’s national security missions, targeting student internships and job placements.
• Enhance collaboration between MSIs and DOE/NNSA labs, with success measured by graduate employment rates and research outputs.

Organization

The Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program is administered by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under the Department of Energy. It operates by awarding competitive grants to MSI consortia, which collaborate with DOE/NNSA labs like Los Alamos, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Funding is sourced from annual DOE/NNSA appropriations, with amounts varying—e.g., $47 million awarded to nine consortia in 2023. Governance is centralized under NNSA leadership, with consortia managing individual projects.

The leader of the program holds the title of MSIPP Program Manager, currently overseen by NNSA leadership under Undersecretary Jill Hruby as of 2025.

Partners

• Howard University
• Florida A&M University
• University of Puerto Rico
• Diné College
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Sandia National Laboratories
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Savannah River National Laboratory

History

The Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program was launched in 2014 to address workforce diversity needs within the Nuclear Security Enterprise, building on the National Nuclear Security Administration Act of 2000 that established NNSA’s framework. It emerged from earlier efforts to engage MSIs in national security research, formalizing partnerships with DOE labs. Key milestones include the 2016 expansion to Tribal Colleges and the 2023 funding of nine consortia for $47 million to advance STEM projects. The program continues to grow, with plans to sustain support through annual grant cycles.

Funding

Initial funding specifics from 2014 are not detailed publicly, but the program is supported by annual DOE/NNSA appropriations, beginning with its launch. For example, in 2023, $47 million was awarded across nine consortia, with funding ongoing and no set end date. Additional funding is authorized yearly, drawn from federal budgets to support education, research, and workforce development activities.

Implementation

The program is carried out through grant-funded consortia projects, where MSIs collaborate with DOE/NNSA labs on STEM initiatives like robotics, AI, and nuclear security training. Implementation includes student internships, faculty research, and technical workshops, phased by funding cycles—e.g., awards announced October 17, 2023, for 2024 projects. There is no defined end date, with efforts focused on long-term workforce development.

Related

• Consortia Grant Program
• National Nuclear Security Administration
• Department of Energy

External links

• https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/minority-serving-institution-partnership-program
• https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-awards-47-million-minority-serving-institution-partnership-program-grants
• wikipedia:Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program

Social media

• https://twitter.com/NNSANews