Academic Partnerships
Sandia cultivates longstanding academic partnerships with institutions across the nation and in the local community who have diverse areas of expertise. These strong relationships enable seamless collaborations on research and development projects that benefit the national security mission, train the next generation of scientists and engineers, strengthen and diversify the talent pipeline, and highlight the critical work done at the nation’s top labs.
Campus Executive Program
The Campus Executive Program fosters partnerships with top universities to conduct leading-edge science, hire accomplished scientists and engineers, and develop collaborations in focused research areas. Sandia executives, acting as ambassadors, are paired with top university officials at schools that share complementary research interests to develop strategic capabilities.
START Historically Black Colleges & Universities Program
Sandia is laser focused on increasing diversity in the talent pipeline. The Securing Top Academic Research & Talent with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (START HBCU) Program fosters specific academic partnerships to increase research collaborations and expose diverse groups of talented students to the lasting impact they can have working at a national laboratory. The four universities currently in the START HBCU Program include Florida A&M University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Prairie View A&M University. For more information, contact Rahni Johnson.
University Research Association
University Research Association (URA) supports Sandia with external calibration on strategic priorities and facilitates high-level scientific advice from subject matter experts through their management of the Chief Research Office’s External Advisory Board. URA also analyzes the research landscape as it relates to Sandia’s mission portfolios to help identify key academic institutions with complementary areas of expertise for potential collaboration. In addition, URA supports Sandia’s diversity and critical skills pipeline programs.