Thank you very much.  It’s a pleasure to be here today to honor the tremendous contributions of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

On this day of remembrance, I also want to take a brief moment to recognize the contributions of our men and women in uniform serving our country so courageously across the world.  Many of these men and women have put on hold plans to attend colleges and universities, like those represented here today, to defend this great country.  Today we pay tribute to those we have lost, and gratitude to the many who serve.

National security is certainly on the minds of many Americans these days.  And protecting that security is a key priority of the Department of Energy.  There is no question that without a secure and stable energy supply, we are vulnerable to numerous external threats.  Ensuring the availability of clean, affordable, and secure energy is, in my view, one of the most significant challenges and opportunities of our time.

At the Department of Energy, we are committed to taking important steps now to ensure a more secure energy future for all Americans.  Among other things, we are exploring and developing renewable and alternative energy sources through the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative.  We are promoting energy efficiency leading by example throughout the DOE complex and exploring incentives for industry to do the same.  We are dedicating substantial funding to research in the physical sciences through the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative.

I’m pleased to say that our country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities all of you here today are playing a vital role in this national effort.  To meet the pervasive set of challenges we face on the energy front, we must capitalize on the great talent and promise of all Americans.  We need every person’s unique set of skills, knowledge and viewpoints.  I believe that the diversity of the American people of gender, race and religion, of background, of culture, and of ideas, among others has been, and will continue to be, one of our greatest strengths.

And, it is not only our differences that push us forward as a nation.  It is our appreciation of those differences and our shared commitment to recognizing them, learning from them, and building together what we could never achieve alone.

To that end, I hope that we will all continue to work together to bring more minority students into scientific disciplines at all levels of education.  I can tell you that we at the Energy Department are committed to doing our part and that I am personally dedicated to facilitating and strengthening our partnerships with the fine institutions that you represent.

As President Bush stated in his proclamation designating this week as national Historically Black Colleges and Universities week, education is a fundamental component of the American dream.  We in the Administration are committed to helping all students access this dream many through your distinguished institutions.

The President has emphasized the importance of providing assistance to minority educational institutions as part of the American Competitiveness Initiative.  This ambitious strategy aims to significantly increase Federal investment in critical research, ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in opportunity and innovation, and provide American children with a strong foundation in math and science.

President Bush has also issued several Executive Orders directing Federal agencies to establish clear goals for encouraging Historically Black Colleges and Universities in particular to participate in Federal programs and to compete for grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.

The Department of Energy has a long history of support for minority educational institutions.  This support has allowed minorities to enhance their skills in the critical areas of science and technology through partnerships, outreach initiatives, and undergraduate and graduate level programs.  The Department is committed to continuing this support.

Last year, it became apparent to me that Department wide support to minority educational institutions was not where it could be.  We took this matter very seriously at the highest levels of the Department.  I directed each Under Secretary to appoint within one week a point of contact in their office responsible for increasing opportunities for minority educational institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to compete for higher education funding.  These individuals were further directed to work closely with the Department’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity and to report quarterly on the results that they achieved in implementing this Directive.

I am proud to say we are seeing results across virtually every program in the Department.  I’d like to share just a few examples with you today.

In the last two fiscal years, the Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded 41 grants to 25 HBCUs totaling over $47 million.  The grants cover research related to the NNSA’s nuclear security and nonproliferation mission requirements, curriculum development in science and technology programs and infrastructure improvements.

Just two weeks ago, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative a Department of Energy initiative focused on developing nuclear science and technology announced the selection of 11 U.S. university-led grant recipient teams to receive up to $30.7 million for cooperative research projects.  Two of the projects selected are HBCUs, Alabama A&M University and South Carolina State University.

Also, we recently awarded a total of $3.8 million to 38 universities to enhance nuclear research and development under President Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).  Livingstone College and South Carolina State University, both HBCUs, were among the recipients.  These GNEP University Readiness awards will be used to upgrade facilities, purchase state of the art equipment, provide increased faculty support, and further enhance nuclear related curricula.

Through the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, the Department of Energy facilitates numerous mentor-protégé relationships.  Just this past summer, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Morehouse College signed the first such agreement between an HBCU and a DOE Office of Science lab.  The new joint initiative will assist students in the college's science programs and promote research collaboration at both institutions.

In addition, many of students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities have participated in the Department’s internship programs.  This past summer, I met with more than 50 students from HBCUs who were assigned to our offices in Washington, DC and Germantown, Maryland.  These students worked on projects in nuclear energy, computer technology, radioactive waste, energy efficiency, scientific research, and environmental management.  An additional 40 students were assigned to our national laboratories and field facilities.

The Department also sponsors an annual “Day of Science” at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.  Next month, there will be more than 600 students from HBCUs across the country participating in scientific presentations, innovative technology demonstrations, and one on one interaction with laboratory researchers.  I’d like to recognize Dr. Thom Mason, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Wil Minter, who developed the partnership, both of whom are here today.

Lastly, I wanted to highlight a notable Department of Energy funded program that I’m sure many of you are familiar with.  The Dr. Samuel P. Massie Chairs of Excellence Program is named after an African American chemist of national reputation who was a leader in championing the cause of minority education in the United States.  It now comprises nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities that graduate more than 30% of the minority engineers in the United States.

I hope this provides you with at least a snapshot of our commitment to the success of the institutions you represent.  I encourage you to continue working closely with the Department of Energy to advance our common goals.

I am committed to facilitating that partnership every step of the way and I do not make this commitment lightly.  These days, the word diversity is so ubiquitous that it has almost become trite and we hear it so often that we don’t stop to think about what it truly means.  But, from where I sit, the term has never been so relevant or so important. Having spent much of my academic and professional life working in scientific and technical disciplines, I consider the need for true diversity particularly in these fields to be as vital as ever.

As such, I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak to all of you today.

Location:
Washington, DC

Media contact(s):
Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940