FAMU SECURES $30M FEDERAL GRANT TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF MINORITY SCIENTISTS BY [ Andrew J. SKERRITT ]
Florida A&M University (FAMU) is the recipient of a $30 million, fiveyear federal grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME) and its mission to find and train the next generation of Black and Hispanic scientists. FAMU is the lead institution and President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., director of the CCME, is the principal investigator of the project. The NOAA CCME is a NOAA Educational Partnership Program/Minority Serving Institution (EPP/MSI) cooperative science center (CSC) and includes partner minority-serving institutions Bethune-Cookman University (BCU), California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), Jackson State University (JSU), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The NOAA CCME’s mission is to recruit, educate, and train a new generation of scientists, particularly from underrepresented minority communities, in NOAA-relevant STEM disciplines and social sciences. This new funding agreement extends and modifies the goals and
The NOAA grant finances education for student scholars from undergraduate to completing their doctorate.
“Having underrepresented minorities who are experts not only enhances diversity but also ensures that we stay attuned to the needs of our most vulnerable populations as solutions are developed,” Robinson said.
“This is FAMU’s largest grant. The Center is a objectives of the initial five-year consortium of Minority Serving Institutions award that started in 2016. Robinson said he is looking forand was formed to address issues ward to building on the past five confronting marine and coastal communities years of training and mentoring fuand to help supply a modern talented ture scientists who will be equipped workforce in relevant NOAA areas of interest,” to tackle climate change and other pressing issues facing coastal communities. ticular attention to cross-cutting research on “The education, research and climate change and environmental justice. outreach done by the Center for Coastal and FAMU Vice President for Research Charles Marine Ecosystems will help NOAA and coastal communities address current and future chal- Weatherford, Ph.D., said it’s difficult to overlenges,” Robinson said. “Having underrepresent- state the importance of this NOAA grant. “This is FAMU’s largest grant. The Center is ed minorities who are experts not only enhances diversity but also ensures that we stay attuned a consortium of Minority Serving Institutions to the needs of our most vulnerable populations and was formed to address issues confronting marine and coastal communities and to help as solutions are developed.” CCME has adopted three thematic areas - supply a modern talented workforce in relePlace-Based Conservation, Coastal Resilience, vant NOAA areas of interest,” said Weatherand Coastal Intelligence — in alignment with ford, “This NOAA grant is representative of the research that is carried out at FAMU and is a current NOAA priorities. These priority areas include uncrewed systems; artificial intelligence; showcase for partnerships that address today’s nationally and internationally relevant issues.” cloud computing; “omics”- a field of study in biological sciences that ends with -omics, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, or metabolomics; data, and citizen science with par-
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