Remarks by NIST Director
Ray Kammer
Press Briefing on Minority Serving Institutions
February 4, 2000
Secretary Daley provided
the setting and context for this initiative in his remarks. Enhancing
the economy and promoting full economic participation by all of our citizens
is an obvious goal for the United States in this new century.
To do that, clearly
we need to more effectively nurture and use our science and technology
resources in the nation's minority-serving institutions. My agency, the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, knows first-hand the value
of employing a diverse workforce. We also know how difficult it is today
in a highly competitive job market to successfully attract and retain
top-notch employees.
That job is even tougher
when it comes to scientists and engineers from minority populations. We
must expand the pool of candidates.
NIST is well positioned
to help do just that. For example:
- Our Chemical Science
and Technology Laboratory's "grow your own" Ph.D. program-- involving
primarily minority students -- enables us to support new staff enrolled
in graduate programs. We support them financially and in their work.
- Three of our major
laboratories -- the Physics Laboratory, Chemical Science and Technology
Laboratory, and Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory -- participate
in a rapidly growing Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
program which recruits actively from minority serving institutions.
The National Science Foundation and participating universities and colleges
help to support this program.
But we can, and should,
do much more. Much of the initiative in the President's fiscal year 2001
budget request in this area for NIST will be used to build MSI capabilities
to expand technical training in measurement science and technology. We
will partner with MSIs to develop new training courses offered over the
Internet and by teleconferencing to reach thousands more students each
year.
Senior-level NIST
scientists and engineers will visit MSIs to identify areas of mutual interest.
We hope to match MSIs with top tier research universities and NIST. Our
connections with industry should aid this 3-way collaboration, providing
guidance on transferring technology from MSIs, including patenting and
licensing activities.
Faculty from MSIs
will broaden their experience by coming to NIST on sabbaticals, getting
exposure to our world-class facilities and contributing to our labs' work.
This program, which
would be funded at $11 million under the President's proposed budget,
has strong potential to build first-rate capacity at MSIs. Their faculty,
students, facilities and equipment all would benefit. Our nation
will be stronger, and we all will benefit. We hope that the Congress agrees
and that we are able to expand our MSI interactions significantly next
year.
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