ORAU MSI Research Council
ORAU and MSI Research Council to develop a strategic plan for advancing research and education capabilities at these institutions
Minority Serving Institutions are institutions of higher education that serve minority populations. These institutions are as diverse as the populations they serve. Some are located in remote regions of the country, while others serve urban neighborhoods. Newer colleges and universities may be a few decades old, while others have been serving students for 100 years or longer.
All MSI institutions have one thing in common: a mission to provide their students with the social and educational skills needed to overcome racial discrimination and limited economic opportunities.
MSIs are sources of untapped talent, where highly educated, sought-after scientific minds are available for opportunities that will launch their science, technology, engineering or mathematics careers.
ORAU places a high priority on fostering relationships between MSIs and federal government agencies across the country, so that the best and brightest are part of advancing the nation’s science, education, workforce development and health priorities.
The MSI Research Council (MRC) is a subcommittee of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions and represents a core group of ORAU’s University Consortium. The purpose of the MRC is to establish a strategic plan for advancing the research and education capabilities of the MRC members and to develop a model framework for leading partnerships of excellence.
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The MRC will:
- Conduct a research readiness assessment.
- Develop a research priority list.
- Convene at least three times each calendar year.
- Appoint project teams and leads for each research priority.
- Identify collaborative funding opportunities.
- Focus on early- and mid-career research faculty.
- Increase member applications for ORAU funding opportunities including: ODRD, Event Sponsorship, and Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Program.
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- Develop a differentiated research framework that maps institutional research capacity with national research priorities.
- Better knowledge and awareness of ORAU member programs and ORAU S&T business lines.
- Position papers on best practices in engaging MSIs in federally funded research.
- Encourage community-based research opportunities, e.g., disparities in minority health.
- Promote scientific, peer-reviewed publications under the MRC brand.
- Generate extramural research funding thru collaborative efforts.
- Increase Powe junior faculty awards to HBCU/HSI faculty.
- Increase MSI policy advocacy at federal agencies.
- Promote webinars and podcasts to showcase MRC initiatives and results.
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Deliverables include:
- Appoint new chair and co-chair
- Schedule MRC convening dates
- Research readiness data project
- Publications and collaborative proposals
- Develop research priority list
- Organize project teams and identify team leads
Milestones include:
- (mid) December – Announce new chair and co-chair
- (mid) January – Host virtual meeting
- (mid) January – Research readiness report
- (mid) January – Assign project teams and team leads
- (late) March – Quarterly report out for each project team
MSI Research Council Member Institutions
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Below is a list of the MSI Research Council members and the designated ORAU Councilor.
Institution Councilor Alabama A&M University Lloyd T. Walker Arizona State University Matt Hulver CUNY City College (City College of New York) Rosemarie Wesson Clark Atlanta University De Lisa A. Wilson Fayetteville State University Arthur L. Evelyn Florida A&M University Charles Weatherford Florida Atlantic University Daniel C. Flynn Florida International University Andres G. Gil Howard University Anthony K. Wutoh Jackson State University Joseph A. Whittaker Johnson C. Smith University Terik Tidwell Marymount University Rita Wong Meharry Medical College Anil Shanker North Carolina A&T State University Eric R. Muth South Carolina State University Elbert R. Malone Southern University and A&M College Michael A. Stubblefield Spelman College Sharon L. Davies Tennessee State University Frances Williams Texas A&M University-Kingsville Mohammad S. Alam Texas Tech University Joseph A. Heppert Tuskegee University Shaik Jeelani University of Central Florida Winston Schoenfeld University of Houston Claudia Neuhauser University of Maryland-Baltimore County Don Engel University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Ali B. Ishaque University of New Mexico Ellen Fisher University of North Texas Pamela Padilla University of Texas at Arlington Kate Miller University of Texas at El Paso Stephen B. Aley University of Texas at San Antonio Jaclyn Shaw University of Texas Permian Basin Rajalingam Dakshinamurthy University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Karen Martirosyan University of the District of Columbia Victor McCrary
MSI Research Council Steering Committee
- Dr. Daniela Radu, Florida International University (chair)
Contact us
To learn more about ORAU's University Partnership programs, contact us at 865.576.6513 or university.partnerships@orau.org.