NNSA awards $2.5 million to five community colleges across the nation.
National Nuclear Security Administration
October 5, 2023
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NNSA awards $2.5 million to five community colleges across the nation.
WASHINGTON – The Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) and Tribal Education Partnership Program (TEPP) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) awarded five grants totaling $2.5 million to Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in response to Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002898: Community and Junior College Trade Occupation Program (CJCTOP).
MSIPP’s efforts are designed to support the development of a diverse, highly skilled, and enduring stream of talented students who are working to advance America’s nuclear security. Through its support of MSIs and TCUs, MSIPP provides competitive grant awards with three-to-five-year periods of performance. This round of MSIPP’s award focuses primarily on the development of trade and skilled labor in community colleges, leveraging untapped potential in students to expand the DOE/NNSA workforce.
“MSIPP is setting the stage for an inclusive future, where we invest in students and communities across the nation,” said Jill Hruby, Undersecretary for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator. “We have an unwavering dedication to creating a strong future American workforce. Through MSIPP, we are preparing people to contribute to critical and emerging technologies, ensuring America’s security, growth, and prosperity.”
The five new awards consist of the following projects:
- Enhancing the National Security Enterprise Workforce Pipeline, led by Augusta Technical College, in partnership with Savannah River National Laboratory.
- Augusta Technical College will enhance their curricula in radiation control and protection, support and engage students enrolled in the programs, and develop an apprenticeship program to support the National Security Enterprise workforce.
- Native Education Excellence in Trades, led by Turtle Mountain Community College, in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories.
- Turtle Mountain Community College will enhance the educational curriculum for building construction and electrical trades. This collaboration will recruit and train a skilled workforce of American Indian and Alaska Native students ready to fill traditional and emerging positions in the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
- Rapid Education and Placement, led by Las Positas College, in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
- Las Positas College will establish teams for curriculum development and implementation within the community college education program. Laboratory experts will collaborate with Las Positas College to enhance student skills and provide opportunities to benefit the future workforce.
- NNSS FastStart, led by the College of Southern Nevada, in partnership with Nevada National Security Site.
- The College of Southern Nevada will increase the number of community college students earning industry-recognized credentials and create a sustainable and scalable model of partnerships that lead to talent pathways, meeting regional and NNSA industry workforce needs.
- Developing Next Generation Radiation Safety Professionals, led by Queensborough Community College, in partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
- Queensborough Community College will develop the next generation workforce in nuclear safety, radiation safety, and health physics. This collaboration will create a certificate program in radiation protection and support a pathway to a bachelor’s degree program.
Click here to learn more about MSIPP at NNSA.