On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the phase one winners of their inaugural HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize in The Partnerships Track.
The prize awards over six million dollars to historically Black colleges and universities developing clean energy programming. Schools were challenged to cultivate clean-energy focused collaborations with industry leaders, government agencies, and other universities through internships, research partnerships, graduate certificates and more. Entering schools submitted their written plans with a video and letters of support.
Funded by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the new program supports President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which funnels 40% of benefits from federal investments in clean transit, clean energy, clean water infrastructure, energy efficiency, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, and legacy pollution remediation to support historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
The goal of the program, as stated in the official rulebook for the competition, is to “expand current HBCU efforts to increase diverse student enrollment in STEM undergraduate and graduate programs that can lead to careers in clean energy.”
The winners of phase one are:
- Albany State University
- Clark Atlanta University
- Dillard University
- Florida A&M University
- Howard University
- Jackson State University
- Morehouse College
- Southern University and A&M College
- Southern University at Shreveport, and
- Tennessee State University
Each school receives $100,000 toward their proposed action.
Over the next five months, teams will develop their proposals and implement their plans, as phase two of the competition will present the opportunity for up to $400,000 in additional funding. Phase two winners are expected to be announced in July. The final phase of the competition will split a $1.75 million pool among three finalists anticipated to be announced in early 2025.
Terrence Mosley, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy senior advisor for diversity and STEM, said, “It’s exciting to be a part of this push to foster equity in the STEM field and bring new ideas into the clean energy space.”
For more information about the U.S. Department of Energy’s HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize, visit https://americanmadechallenges.org/challenges/hbcu.
