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Who We Serve

Minority Serving Institutions are institutions of higher education that serve minority and underserved populations.  They are unique both in their missions and in their day-to-day operations.  Some of these colleges and universities are located in remote regions of the country, whereas others serve urban neighborhoods. Some minority-serving institutions are only a few decades old, whereas others, particularly the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, have been striving for more than a century to give their constituents the social and educational skills needed to overcome racial discrimination and limited economic opportunities. 

Check out this page for more information about the types of Minority Serving Institutions that we work closely with.

Our Activities

We foster partnerships and serve as advocates for Minority Serving Institutions by engaging the Department's program offices, laboratories, and field sites in establishing business relationships with these institutions, including research opportunities, grants, or cooperative agreements. The successes of these partnerships are measured by the increased capability of Minority Serving Institutions to compete effectively for grants and contracts at the Department.

• Our Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program brings students straight to our labs and headquarters for summer internships, providing paid opportunities for students to actually meet and work with scientists and engineers in energy fields.
• The Dr. Samuel P. Massie Chairs of Excellence Program creates teams of world-class scholars, researchers and educators, who advance research, enhance academics, promote partnerships, and effect outreach in the environmental sciences.  Currently nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities and one Hispanic Serving Institution are participating.
• Our Nuclear Energy University Program funds nuclear energy research equipment upgrades at U.S. colleges and universities – Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Wilberforce University, South Carolina State, Alcorn State and more are active participants.
• The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Internship Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with science, technology, engineering, or mathematics backgrounds with opportunities to work on exciting projects at NNSA’s laboratories, Federal field offices or with small business partners. 
• The technical assistance workshops we run for Minority Serving Institutions share information about Energy Department funding opportunities, including a Department-wide solicitation, specifically for underrepresented minority communities. For more information, contact Amanda.Quinones@hq.doe.gov
• Our Mentor-Protégé program for small business development has supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Norfolk Stat University, Jackson State University, and Alabama State University. 
• The Clark Atlanta University Atlanta University Consortium combines the research and development capabilities of Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College to support capacity building in alternative, renewable, and green energy technologies. In FY 2011, our office provided additional funds to bolster this program, broadening the scope to include Guam Community College, Santa Fe Community College, and the Haskell Indian Nations University.
• The Office of Environmental Management's Memorandum of Understanding with nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities includes grants for students to encourage integration of technology into research and education related to environmental management.

Energy Department Coordination

Our office serves as an advocate to increase the participation of Minority Serving Institutions in activities throughout the Department. To this end, we:

• Facilitate Department of Energy participation in conferences and workshops to highlight opportunities for Minority Serving Institutions to work with the Department and to foster partnerships between the Department, Minority Serving Institutions, and energy industries. 
• Provide guidance on establishing partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions as well as assist in developing comprehensive minority education plans.
• Work routinely with program offices to increase Minority Serving Institutions participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. 
• Create, enforce, and track a Department-wide mandate to hold program offices accountable for program funding goals, which we aim to increase yearly.

Questions? Interested in partnering with us? Contact our staff.