BER - Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (BER-RENEW)

Description

Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) aims to build foundations for Office of Science (SC) research and training at institutions historically underrepresented in the SC research portfolio. RENEW leverages SC’s unique national laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructures to provide undergraduate and graduate training opportunities for students and academic institutions not currently well represented in the U.S. science and technology (S&T) ecosystem. The hands-on experiences gained through RENEW will open new career avenues for participants, forming a nucleus for a future pool of talented young scientists, engineers, and technicians with the critical skills and expertise needed for the full breadth of SC research activities. Principal Investigators, key personnel, and students of RENEW awards will be invited to participate in Biological and Environmental Research (BER) researcher meetings and/or SC-wide professional development and collaborator events. The DOE SC program in BER hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for RENEW grants that will target student experiential training and building capacity in BER-relevant programs at non-R1 Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)[1], including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Funding may be requested to support experiential training and mentoring activities in partnership with DOE National Laboratories conducting BER-relevant science and/or with one or more of BER’s research efforts at the DOE National Laboratories and/or the Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs). BER has a goal to broaden and diversify institutional representation in its research portfolio. BER recognizes there are many academic scientists at institutions not currently supported by BER who have limited familiarity with BER programs and research support; BER further recognizes that such barriers to engagement in research and student training can be surmounted by fostering partnerships and collaborations, particularly with BER-supported long-term research activities, and supporting institutional capacity building activities. To help provide technical assistance for student experiential training and advance the goal of broadening institutional participation, this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will provide funding for institutions to: 1) develop biological and environmental science training capacity and research at non-R1 MSIs; and 2) foster sustained undergraduate and graduate student training and participation in BER-relevant research through new collaborations. [1] MSIs are understood broadly to include, but not be limited to, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Asian American Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions. US Department of Education lists of MSIs and HBCUs in 2022 can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/2022eligibilitymatrix.xlsx and https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/. SC has posted a list of institutions with their Carnegie Classifications, designations as Minority-Serving Institutions, and Emerging Research Institutions (as defined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022) at https://science.osti.gov/grants/Applicant-and-Awardee-Resources/Institution-Designations. This list is offered as a convenience and is not exhaustive.

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