Increasing Participation through NOAA's Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions

NOAA is committed to creating a workforce that is highly trained and reflects the diversity of the Nation. NOAA’s Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions consists of two components: 1) the EPP Undergraduate Scholarship Program, and 2) four Cooperative Science Centers, which train students in NOAA’s mission fields. Approximately 75% of the students who complete degrees under these programs are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM. The NOAA Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), a Cooperative Science Center based at Howard University, has trained undergraduate and graduate students in atmospheric science since 2001. In 2016, NOAA’s Office of Education analyzed performance data to determine the impact of the programs on graduation rates and on the workforce. The contribution of NCAS to degrees by black students, particularly at the doctoral level, has been significant. Half of black PhD graduates in Atmospheric Science and Meteorology reported by the Integrated Post-secondary Educational Data System (IPEDS) for 2002-2015 graduated from institutions associated with NCAS, predominantly Howard University (lead institution). Overall, NCAS has produced approximately 50 PhD graduates in NOAA mission sciences from 2002-2016 and more than 225 degrees overall. Seventy percent (70%) are employed in STEM and STEM-related fields Thirty NCAS alumni currently work at NOAA, the most of any of the Cooperative Science Centers.