National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Educational Partnership Programwith

Minority Serving Institutions

Background

• The Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) Program is a NOAA-wide initiative administered through NOAA Research

• The program uses the Department of Education definition of MSIs (e.g., HBCU, HSI, TCU)

• The EPP/MSI Program was initiated in FY 2001 with a $14,976,000 budget appropriation

• The program has a $15 M budget in FY2002

Program Goals

• To increase programs and opportunities for students to pursue research and education in atmospheric, environmental, and oceanic sciences and remote sensing programs, principally among MSIs

• To develop collaborative programs with MSIs that provide quality education to serve the interests of NOAA and the nation at large, and increase linkages between MSIs, other research institutions, the private sector, the NGO community, and NOAA facilities

– Cooperative Science Centers

– Environmental Entrepreneurship Program

– Graduate Sciences Program

– Undergraduate Scholarship Program

Program Components

Undergraduate Scholarship Program• Designed to increase the number of students who undertake

course work and graduate with degrees in specific scientific areas or fields integral to NOAA’s mission

• Approximately 10 students entering their junior year are selected annually, who have matriculated in the natural and/or physical science fields

• Students participate in HQ orientation where they rotate through NOAA Line and Program Offices to learn about the programmatic and research objectives and potential career opportunities within NOAA

Undergraduate Scholarship Program

• Students must have and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and make a commitment to pursue a degree in a NOAA related science to participate in the program

• Program duration: two 10-week summer session

• $4,000 scholarships awarded during academic year

Graduate Sciences Program• Specifically designed to recruit, hire and provide

graduate level training to qualified women and minority candidates in NOAA-related sciences

• Individuals are trained in a pre-determined course of study to meet the specificity of NOAA’s scientific occupations

• Mentorships established between students and NOAA staff strengthen collaborative research in NOAA’s mission related areas

• Applications are accepted annually from January thru March

Environmental Entrepreneurship Program

• The program’s goal is to attract, train, mentor and retain underrepresented individuals to pursue careers, entrepreneurship opportunities and advanced academic study in NOAA-related fields

• The program facilitates linkages between MSIs, the public and private sector, NOAA and the bureaus of DOC to ensure environmentally sustainable and economically viable local communities.

Environmental Entrepreneurship Program

• The program provides annual grants or cooperative agreement awards on a competitive basis to approximately 13 MSIs

• The funding supports outreach, education, applied research, and training programs

Environmental Entrepreneurship Program

• One component of the program supports development and enhancement of MSI academic programs related to NOAA’s mission

• Another component of the program supports the engagement of MSI students and faculties in demonstration projects that apply environmentally sound methods and technologies to address environmental issues in natural resource depleted areas.

Cooperative Science Centers

Four Cooperative Science Centers were designated in October 2001, at MSIs with established programs and graduate degrees in NOAA related disciplines. The Centers are:

– City College of the City University of New York, Remote Sensing;

– Florida A&M University, Environmental Science;– Howard University, Atmospheric Sciences; and,– University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Living Marine

Resources

Cooperative Science Centers• Each Center will create a Distinguished Professorship

whose responsibility is to develop significant research projects along with other partners

• The Centers will establish and/or expand electronic linkages to increase distance learning opportunities in NOAA related science among the MSIs

• 17 MSIs have partnered with the 4 Cooperative Science Centers

The Atmospheric Sciences CSC

Lead Institution:Howard University

Partner Institutions: University of Texas, El Paso

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Jackson State University

NCAS

NCAS Goals• The goal of the program is to increase the number of highly

qualified, well-trained graduates in the fields of atmospheric sciences for employment opportunities with NOAA, NWS, and other weather-related fields

• To establish a consortium of MSIs to form an atmospheric sciences center at HU, and to implement a comprehensive academic and research training program

• The strategic objective is to develop and support a program in atmospheric sciences that will train and develop underrepresented students.

NCAS Research Themes

• Improved prediction of precipitation in forecast and climate models through the development, validation and application of the Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF)

• Develop an observation site to complement sites at University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA GSFC to create a mini observation system for focused model initialization and validation studies, for satellite validation; and for student training in weather instrumentation and measurements

• Examine the extent to which quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) can be improved by integrating observations and modeling studies

• Provide students experience and training in operation and research aspects of forecast and climate models, and research and application of state of the art and next generation meteorological instruments and measurement techniques

NCAS WRF Research Partners

• NCEP

• NCAR

• NASA GSFC

• ISWS

• SUNYA

• JSU

• HU

Environmental Cooperative Science Center

(ECSC) LEAD INSTITUTION:

Florida A&M University

PARTNER INSTITUTIONS:

Delaware State University

Jackson State University

Morgan State University

South Carolina State University

University of Miami

ECSC PRIMARY GOALS

 

(1) Increase the number of underrepresented students in the atmospheric, environmental, and oceanic sciences to participate in NOAA related research.

(2) Develop tools, including conceptual models, to assess the response of coastal ecosystems and communities to perturbation and develop measurement programs to monitor critical system attributes at NERR sites.

(3) Improve the scientific basis for coastal resource management.

(4) Facilitate community education and outreach relating to the function and significance of coastal ecosystems.

ECSC APPROACH

• Investigate the structure of economic and social systems of coastal communities and their relationships to the natural system.

• Implement an interdisciplinary approach to training future scientists, managers, and the communities they serve.

• Conduct regional studies at NERR sites on targeted areas in sustainable management of coastal and marine habitats.

ECSC Organizational Structure

Principal Investigator FAMU

Technical Advisory Panel Management Advisory Com.

JSU MSU SCSU UM

Study Sites and Stakeholders

NOAA Program Manager NOAA Key Contact

Internal Management Team

DSU

Cooperative REmote Sensing Science

and Technology (CREST) Center

LEAD INSTITUTION:

City University of New York

PARTNER INSTITUTIONS:

• Hampton University (HU)

• University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM)

• Bowie State University (BSU)

• University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)

• Columbia University (CU)

Center Research Themes

• Atmospheric Remote Sensing and Air Quality Monitoring

• Estuarine, Coastal and Marine RS and Water Quality Monitoring

• Remote Sensing Applications for Environmental Assessment and Forecasting

Atmospheric Remote Sensing and Air Quality Research

• Satellite Data Analysis and Algorithm Development – Development of remote sensing and data inversion and analysis procedures for

various NOAA sensors and future NPOESS satellite measurement packages (VIIRS, APS, etc.)-(CCNY,Columbia U., Hampton U, UMBC, UPRM)

• Atmospheric Remote Sensing, Lidar/Sun Photometer – Elastic, Raman, and DIAL lidar measurements for high resolution range-resolved

monitoring of aerosols and atmospheric gases (CCNY, Hampton U., UMBC)

– Sunphotometry and radiometry for column loadings of particulates, ozone, NO2, and water vapor (CCNY, Columbia U., etc.)

• Air Quality Assessment Including: Sampling, Surface Measurements, Lab Analysis– Mobile environmental measurements laboratory equipped with lidar, sunphotometer,

and sampling instruments (CCNY).

– Particulate and gas sampling (CCNY, BCC)

– FTIR, GC-MS, and other analysis systems (CCNY, BCC)

• Transport Modeling– MM5 modeling of atmospheric transport (CCNY)

Estuarine, Coastal, and Marine Remote Sensing and Water Quality Research

• Satellite Remote Sensing and Data Processing (CCNY, UMBC)– High spectral resolution (MODIS) data for information on plankton blooms,

freshet and coastal erosion.

– Region specific algorithms for satellite data inversion (MODIS, SeaWiFS).

– Radiation budget for near coastal environment (AVHRR, ETM).

• Laboratory and In-situ Field Measurements (CCNY, Columbia U., Hampton U.) – Analyze aircraft data (GER & other partners).

– Use a suite of commercial and experimental probes for field and laboratory and field studies of water parameters. Test sites: Shinnecock Canal and Peconic Bay (Long Island, NY).

– Investigate the development of in-situ fiber optic probes that can simultaneously measure chlorophyll, CDOM absorption profiles and particulate matter (PSD) and refractive index.

– Study eco-systems and sustainable fisheries using NOAA/Sea Grant baseline studies in the Hampton River for analysis (HU).

Remote Sensing Applications for Environmental Assessment and Forecasting

• Hydrology – Soil moisture measurement and monitoring (CCNY, UPRM).

– Remote Sensing and Hydrological Modeling - Use AVHRR data directly from the NOAA polar orbiting satellites along with data from GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST and NEXRAD radars to estimate key parameters for use in the initializing, calibrating, evaluating, and forecasting of hydrological models (CCNY).

– Instrument evaluation for environmental impact, land use/ land cover change applications in the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island (BSU, CCNY) .

• Hurricane Prediction – Correlate satellite-remote-sensed winds with data obtained from National Data

Buoys to improve prediction methods for hurricanes and other severe storms (CCNY) .

Establishment of Committees

•MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES

• NOAA Management Committee

• Internal Executive Committee

•TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

• NOAA Advisory Panel

• Internal Technical Committee

• External Advisory Committee

Expected Collaboration with NOAA Laboratories

• Environmental Technology Laboratory’s Atmospheric Lidar Program – Multi-wavelength Lidar and DIAL for tropospheric ozone, aerosols and

water vapor.– Lidar instrument development- compact and portable OPO-based uv-dial

system– Lidar Signal Processing

• Air Resources Laboratory (ARL)– ARL regional air quality monitoring programs in the north-east (such as the

AIRMon program) with emphasis on correlating air quality to incidents of asthma in New York City

• Aeronomy Lab and Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Lab– Effects of ozone and aerosols and their effect on radiative transfer

processes and resultant climate impacts.

Strategic Alliances

INDUSTRY

–Raytheon – summer internships, student fellowships, exchange of industry and university scientists, expansion of research agenda.–Microsoft (in review)–Hewlett Packard (in review)

GOVERNMENT

–New York State Dept. of State, Division of Coastal Resources–SUNY Albany Atmospheric Research Center

The Living Marine Resource Cooperative Science Center

LEAD INSTITUTION:University of Maryland Eastern Shore

PARTNER INSTITUTIONS:Delaware State University

Hampton UniversitySavannah State University

Center of Marine BiotechnologyUniversity of Miami

Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center

Center Theme: The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore and its partners will improve opportunities for, and retention of, students and faculty from underrepresented groups with the goal of increasing the number of students graduating in marine sciences.

Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center

The Center’s missions are:• to conduct ecological research on marine and

estuarine systems in order to promote education, research and advancement opportunities for all students to pursue careers in marine sciences;

• to develop expertise and provide leadership in areas such as fisheries stock assessment, marine chemistry, critical habitat assessment, fishery socio-economics and aquaculture.

Education

Key Educational Components of the LMRCSC

• The “Virtual Campus”

• Expanded Curricula Through the Campus

• Exchange of Center Academic and NOAA Scientific Personnel

• Interactions with NOAA Scientists and Managers for:

Seminars Workshops Student Participation in NOAA Research

Science Initiatives • National Benthic Analyses Laboratory

Provide Service to NOAAProvide Center For Scientific InteractionProvide Virtual Data BaseProvide Projects for Center Graduate and

Undergraduate Students

• Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Production Facility

Develop Large Scale Production Facility Conduct Research on Genetic and Environmental Factors Influencing SAV Survival Provide Projects for Center Graduate and

Undergraduate Students

Organizational Structure

B oard of V is itors

Exec utive Committee

Direc tor

Sta nd ing C o m m itte eRe se a rc h

Sta nd ing C o m m itte eBe n th ic s La b o ra to ry

Sta nd ing C o m m itte eEd uc a tio n

Sta nd ing C o m m itte eRe c ru itm e nt

Institu tio na l D ire c to rDSU

Institu tio na l D ire c to rHU

Institu tio na l D ire c to rSSU

Institu tio na l D ire c to rUM BI C O M B

Institu tio na l D ire c to rUM RSM A S

Ad Ho c C o m m itte eSto c k A sse ssm e nt/

M o d e ling

Ad Ho c C o m m itte eSo c io -Ec o no m ic s

Ad Ho c C o m m itte eHa b ita t/Ec o syste m

He a lth

Ad Ho c C o m m itte eBe n th ic s

Ad Ho c C o m m itte eAq ua c u ltu re

For additional information, contact:

Jacqueline J. Rousseau

Ph: (301) 713-9437

Email: Jacqueline.J.Rousseau@noaa.gov