Higher Education Programs (HEP): Institutional Service: Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP)

Overview

Purpose of Program: The MSEIP is designed to effect long-range improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions and to increase the participation of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and technological careers, consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.

There are four types of MSEIP grants: institutional project, special project, cooperative project, and design project. 

• Institutional project grants are grants that support the implementation of a comprehensive science improvement plan, which may include any combination of activities for improving the preparation of minority students, particularly minority women, for careers in science. 
• There are two types of special project grants. First, there are special project grants for which only minority institutions are eligible. These special project grants support activities that (1) improve quality training in science and engineering at minority institutions; or (2) enhance the minority institutions’ general scientific research capabilities. There also are special project grants for which all applicants are eligible. These special project grants support activities that (1) provide a needed service to a group of eligible minority institutions; or (2) provide in-service training for project directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority institutions. 
• Cooperative project grants assist groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities to work together to conduct a science improvement project. 
• Design project grants assist minority institutions that do not have their own appropriate resources or personnel to plan and develop long-range science improvement programs. We will not award design project grants in the FY 2023 competition.

Priorities: This notice contains two competitive preference priorities.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post-Enrollment Success (Up to 9 points). Projects that are designed to increase postsecondary access, affordability, completion, and success for underserved students by addressing one or more of the following priority areas: 
    (a) Supporting the development and implementation of high-quality and accessible learning                 opportunities, including learning opportunities that are accelerated or hybrid online, credit                 bearing, work-based, and flexible for working students. (Up to 3 points). 
   (b) Supporting the development and implementation of evidence-based strategies to promote              students’ development of knowledge and skills necessary for success in the workforce and             civic life. (Up to 3 points). 
   (c) Providing secondary school students with access to career exploration and advising                        opportunities to help students make informed decisions about their postsecondary enrollment          decisions and to place them on a career path. (Up to 3 points).

Competitive Preference Priority 2: New Potential Grantees (3 points). Under this priority, we award an additional three points to applicants that have not received MSEIP funding within seven years before the deadline date for submission of applications under this program competition.

(a) For institutional project grants, eligible applicants are limited to 
     (1) Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education that (i) award baccalaureate                  degrees; and (ii) are minority institutions; 
     (2) Public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education that (i) award associate degrees;             and (ii) are minority institutions that (A) have a curriculum that includes science or                           engineering subjects; and (B) enter into a partnership with public or private nonprofit                       institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees in science and                             engineering. 

(b) For special project grants for which only minority institutions are eligible, eligible applicants are described in paragraph (a). 

(c) For special project grants for which all applicants are eligible, eligible applicants include those described in paragraph (a), and
      (1) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional scientific societies, and institutions               of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees that (i) provide a needed service to a             group of minority institutions; or (ii) provide in-service training to project directors, scientists,             and engineers from minority institutions; or 
     (2) A consortia of organizations that provide needed services to one or more minority                            institutions, the membership of which may include (i) institutions of higher education that                  have a curriculum in science or engineering; (ii) institutions of higher education that have a              graduate or professional program in science or engineering; (iii) research laboratories of, or            under contract with, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, or the National              Institutes of Health; (iv) relevant offices of the National Aeronautics and Space                                  Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science                         Foundation, and National Institute of Standards and Technology; (v) quasi-governmental                 entities that have a significant scientific or engineering mission; or (vi) institutions of higher               education that have State sponsored centers for research in science, technology,                             engineering, and mathematics.

(d) For cooperative project grants, eligible applicants are groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities whose primary fiscal agent is an eligible minority institution as defined in 34 CFR 637.4(b).

• Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 
• Estimated Range of Awards: Institutional Project Grants, Special Project Grants, and Cooperative Project Grants: $250,000–$300,000 for up to 36 months. 
• Estimated Average Size of Awards: $275,000 for up to 36 months. 
• Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $300,000 for a 12- month period or $900,000 for a 36- month period. 
• Estimated Number of Awards: Institutional Project Grants: 17. Special Project Grants: 2. Cooperative Project Grants: 1. 

Pre-Application Webinar information: The Department will hold a preapplication meeting via webinar for prospective applicants. Detailed information regarding this webinar will be provided on the MSEIP website.