HBCU South Carolina State University Receives $8M for STEM Research – urbangeekz

HBCU South Carolina State University has secured an $8 million state allocation for STEM research and SRNL workforce development.

The funding will be used for education and research in the University’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Transportation (STEM-T College) to a new level.

This $8 million funding is part of an initial $40 million proviso towards the Research Partnerships and Workforce Training programs between the University of South Carolina (USC) and Clemson University to support the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the Battelle Savannah River Alliance (BSRA).

The Research Partnerships and Workforce Training Programs’ overall goal is to provide a talent pipeline for SRNL and coursework to support professional development for the site’s existing workforce.

SC State is crucial to the SRNL initiative because it’s the only institution in South Carolina and the nation’s only HBCU (historically Black college or university) offering a Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering. The university also manages the Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station, which provides hands-on, field-oriented experiences for students.

“SC State already enjoys productive and mutually beneficial relationships with SRNL and BSRA,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said. “These funds will strengthen those connections and transform our STEM-T College into an even greater asset for the people of South Carolina and our students.

“I thank Gov. Henry McMaster and the General Assembly for supporting this visionary milestone in the development of SC State and our partners in this critical endeavor,” Conyers said.

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The Research Partnerships and Workforce Training Programs, which are four years in the making, are game-changers for research initiatives and the marketability of SC State graduates in STEM fields.

“This investment underscores the state’s commitment to preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving STEM world,” said Dr. Frederick Evans, SC State provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Expanding access to STEM education empowers our youth to innovate, create, and drive our state’s future economic success.

“The financial support will also position our students to engage in more strategic research within the STEM field and strengthen our alliances with business and industry, which will lead to new curricula to support workforce development in the State of South Carolina,” Evans said.

Enabling Research And Educational Opportunities

SC State’s share of the proviso will enable the university to employ 12 new research faculty in areas such as environmental engineering, the basic sciences of biology, chemistry and radiochemistry, health physics, nuclear engineering, cybersecurity, and networking.

Also, scholarships and internships will be available for undergraduate students. Three Centers of Excellence will be constructed focusing on energy and environmental solutions, nuclear criticality and radiochemistry, and cyber defense education. 

Two new pre-college institutes will also be established for the Summer Bridge Program for young students and the Summer Science Institute for teachers.

SC State also plans to enhance its STEM labs with new equipment to conduct cutting-edge research and provide STEM students with a high-quality educational experience. In addition, the university is using other funding sources to renovate labs in Hodge Hall for the program.
 

“These funds will be transformational to the STEM-T College because it will provide an opportunity to build a robust research infrastructure that will allow the university to compete in the research arena on national and international levels, particularly as we move toward Research II status,” according to Elbert R. Malone, SC State associate provost for research and sponsored programs.

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The universities outlined a five-year plan, and the initial grant will support the efforts for the first two years, after which the additional funding would kick in.

Of each new faculty member’s time, 75% will be devoted to research, with the remaining 25% dedicated to instruction. Eventually, the faculty members will be responsible for bringing in their research funding and keeping the initiative alive after the grant period expires.

Feature Image Credit: South Carolina State University