October will mark a year since Dr. Karen Marrongelle returned to the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources. As an administrator, she has focused on understanding the causes of disparities in educational opportunities and establishing strategic visions for addressing those issues.
This August, NASA announced more than $587,000 in grants through its Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), part of the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement. According to the statement, the grants are aligned with the goals of a National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative called Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science or INCLUDES for short.
“NSF is thrilled to welcome MUREP’s planning grant awardees to the NSF INCLUDES network of partners,” said Marrongelle, assistant director of NSF’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources in the statement. “We value NASA’s support for the vision of the NSF INCLUDES initiative, as we work collaboratively for inclusive change to the STEM workforce, and we look forward to the outcomes of the catalytic work that will be conducted through these planning grants.”
The recipient institutions and proposed projects announced include:
California State University, Northridge‘s project, which will promote collaboration that delivers STEM knowledge to underserved/underrepresented children.
California State University, San Bernardino‘s collaboration of MSIs, and the Community College Association of Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement Directors will broaden participation in engineering.
Navajo Technical College will use its planning grant to develop a concept paper detailing best practices to enable the first TCU-led submission of a multi-institutional NSF INCLUDES proposal to implement findings from this award.
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces’s proposed program has two main objectives: increase participation and role of MSIs in space-related research, and increase the number and diversity of STEM graduates that are well prepared to contribute to the space industry.
Texas A&M University, Kingsville‘s objectives are to create a concept paper for broadening participation in aerospace engineering via a coalition of MSIs, high schools, libraries, nonprofit, state, private, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as to create a comprehensive action plan with detailed intervention activities.
The University of Texas, El Paso‘s goal is to complete the initiation and planning phases for ECE@HSI, with the overarching goal of supporting broadening participation in electrical and computer engineering.
The University of Texas, San Antonio will engage industry, government, and educational stakeholders to establish a tiered educational model for intentionally broadening participation in interdisciplinary aeronautics engineering.
“Efforts with Minority Serving Institutions to broaden student participation exemplify the work of the federal coordination in STEM community and highlight the direct benefit to students when agencies work together,” said Mike Kincaid, NASA associate administrator for STEM Engagement in the statement. “We look forward to see the results of this partnership.”
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