NASA funds new institute at FAMU

Under a new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant, FAMU is establishing a Minority Innovation Challenges Institute (MICI) to mentor students at Minority Serving Institutions around the country. The institute will strive to get more minority students interested in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content offered by technical prize competitions sponsored by NASA. MICI will feature a year-round virtual conference to provide video, Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, and other resources, with a focus on a different contest each month.

The principal investigator for the grant is Computer Information Sciences Professor Clement Allen. Allen is an experienced researcher who has also received grants from Dell Corporation and Procter & Gamble.

Through MICI, which will be funded for 3 years, Allen aims to foster further research in technology areas meaningful to NASA. He lso wants to motivate students to become involved in STEM disciplines related to NASA and inspire them to seek employment at NASA or a NASA contractor.

The new institute is yet another program poised to help FAMU build upon its success in graduating blacks who go on to earn Ph.D. degrees in the STEM fields.

Read the full program description here.