Empowering Minority-Serving Institutions through FACES Program: Bridging the Gap between Academia and National Renewable Energy Laboratories

The Faculty-Applied Clean Energy Sciences (FACES) Program, recently launched by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is aimed at forging connections between DOE laboratories and academic institutions, enhancing STEM education, and promoting clean energy responsibility in social and environmental sciences. The program’s initial group of faculty members has been selected, comprising a diverse cohort from minority-serving institutions (MSI) across the nation, including Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNHSIs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs).

The chosen faculty members will be collaborating with scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, for a 10-week summer program. Their primary objective is to develop educational modules on various clean energy topics that can be integrated into their home institution’s curricula and shared with other MSI campuses. This partnership will aid in creating resources for educators to support students interested in pursuing careers in clean energy.

Terrence Mosley, senior advisor for diversity and STEM in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), stated, “We are thrilled to provide MSI faculty members with this opportunity through FACES to engage directly with DOE and national laboratories. This collaboration will help expand their research networks while empowering them to educate their students on cutting-edge clean energy science topics. By fostering strong STEM education and diverse representation in the scientific workforce, the United States will be better equipped to build a sustainable future.”