Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program - Tribal Education Partnership Program | DE FOA 0002368

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002368

The Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) - Tribal Education Partnership Program (TEPP) is a Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) grant opportunity designed to strengthen STEM education and workforce pathways at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in ways that directly support NNSA's national security mission. NNSA is responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear weapons stockpile, and it frames this work as inseparable from building strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics capabilities. The opportunity is rooted in the idea that the United States needs a larger, more inclusive pipeline of technical talent to keep pace with global innovation and to sustain long-term security and prosperity. TEPP sits under MSIPP, which is NNSA's broader effort to invest in Minority Serving Institutions so they can expand research and education capacity aligned to DOE/NNSA mission needs and help prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers for the Nuclear Security Enterprise.

At its core, TEPP funds projects that both build institutional STEM capacity at TCUs and connect TCU students and faculty more directly to NNSA and DOE laboratories, plants, and technical activities. The program emphasizes sustained partnerships rather than one-off engagements, with the goal of creating an enduring pipeline from early education through advanced training. The solicitation highlights a "K-20 to post-doctoral" concept, meaning it values activities that can span from K-12 outreach and early college experiences through undergraduate and graduate preparation, research exposure, and career placement. A major theme is giving students and faculty access to cutting-edge research environments and facilities through university-lab consortia and other structured collaborations, so that participants gain relevant experience in fields tied to NNSA and DOE mission areas.

The funding announcement spells out several success factors that guide what TEPP wants applicants to accomplish. First is strengthening and expanding TCU STEM capacity and research experience in areas that matter to NNSA and DOE, which can include developing academic programs, improving laboratories and research infrastructure, expanding faculty capability, and increasing hands-on research opportunities for students. Second is intentionally building collaborations between TCUs and NNSA/DOE labs and plants that increase meaningful scientist-to-scientist interaction, raise the visibility of TCU faculty in DOE/NNSA technical communities, and provide direct access to DOE/NNSA facilities for STEM activities. Third is increasing the number of minority students who complete STEM degrees, reflecting a clear emphasis on measurable student outcomes such as retention, progression, and graduation. Fourth is increasing the number of minority graduates and post-doctoral researchers who are ultimately hired into DOE/NNSA's STEM workforce, signaling that employment outcomes and workforce readiness are central measures of success, not secondary benefits.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant program in the education activity category (CFDA 81.123) offered by DOE/NNSA under Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002368. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, aligning with the program's focus on Tribal-serving higher education and tribal entities. The opportunity anticipated up to six awards, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 per award. The announcement was created on October 15, 2020, with an original closing date of December 18, 2020. Overall, TEPP is best understood as a workforce and capacity-building investment that uses partnerships with the Nuclear Security Enterprise to expand STEM opportunities at TCUs, strengthen research engagement, improve degree completion in STEM, and ultimately increase representation of minority talent in NNSA and DOE technical careers.

• The Department of Energy, NNSA in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program - Tribal Education Partnership Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.123.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 18, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for DE FOA 0002368

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