WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) is announcing the expansion of its Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP).

EM’s minority serving institutions program originally included internships, competitive research awards, a post-doctoral research program, and the Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station. With the expansion announced today, EM is adding a technology curriculum and professional development program, graduate fellowship program, and an EM/MSIs shared interest research partnership.

“Achieving EM’s mission relies on having the right talent in the workforce pipeline to ensure innovation, efficiency and cost effectiveness in every project we start and finish,” EM Senior Advisor William “Ike” White said. “EM is significantly ramping up recruitment efforts and the MSIPP plays a key role. The tools and programs we are putting in place today will set the stage for developing the next generation workforce needed tomorrow.”

DOE received $56 million for the MSIPP in the fiscal year 2022 budget. This funding builds on the $6 million requested and provided in fiscal year 2021. The funding will enable EM to sustain current efforts to aggressively recruit highly qualified candidates who graduate from the roughly 700 minority serving institutions across the country.

“This funding helps EM to expand its efforts to produce the next great generation of scientists by increasing interest in and access to STEM education at all levels and for those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM education and careers,” said White.

EM has a workforce of about 33,000 federal and contractor employees. A significant portion of that workforce is eligible, or will soon be eligible, for retirement. This requires an infusion of new professionals in a variety of fields to sustain and build the workforce and enable the EM program to continue achieving key cleanup goals.

“A robust MSIPP is in the nation’s best interest. There are more undergraduate STEM students enrolled at four-year minority serving institutions than at four-year non-minority serving institutions, and minority serving institutions produce one-fifth of the nation’s STEM bachelor’s degrees,” said Nicole Nelson-Jean, associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations. “The MSIPP recognizes the need to build on the diversity, inclusion and equity successes at the national laboratories to develop a pipeline of future scientists and technologists.”

For information on EM’s Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program, click here.