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- What is the purpose of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program?
- What is the definition of the term “minority” for MSEIP?
- What is the definition of the term “minority institution” for MSEIP?
- What is the definition of the term “science” for MSEIP?
- What is the duration of the MSEIP grant?
- What are the four types of grants supported by MSEIP?
- Does MSEIP require cost matching?
- How often are MSEIP competitions generally held?
- What kinds of activities cannot be supported with MSEIP grant funds?
- What are the reporting requirements for MSEIP grantees?

The purpose of the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) is to make grants that are designed to effect long-range improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions of higher education and to increase the participation of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, in scientific and technological careers.  MSEIP supports the Federal Government’s efforts to improve and expand the scientific and technological capacity of the United States to support its technological and economic competitiveness.

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The term ‘‘minority’’ means American Indian, Alaskan Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic (including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American origin), Pacific Islander or other ethnic group under-represented in science and engineering.

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The term ‘‘minority institution’’ means an institution of higher education whose enrollment of a single minority or a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment.

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The term ‘‘science’’ means the biological, engineering, mathematical, physical, behavioral, and social sciences, and history and philosophy of science; also included are interdisciplinary fields which are comprised of overlapping areas among two or more sciences.

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A grant award under MSEIP is for 12 to 36 months and is based on the request of the applicant.

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Institutional grant, Cooperative grant, Design grant, and Special Project grant.

**Institutional grants** support the implementation of a comprehensive science improvement plan, which may include any combination of activities for improving the preparation of minority students, particularly minority women, for careers in science.

**Cooperative grants** assist groups of nonprofit accredited colleges and universities working together to conduct a science improvement program.  Any nonprofit accredited college or university may participate in a cooperative grant; however, the fiscal agent must be an eligible minority institution.

**Design grants** are projects that assist minority institutions that do not have their own appropriate resources or personnel to plan and develop long-range science improvement programs.  Applicants that receive design grants are not guaranteed to receive an award the following year to execute the planned science improvement program.  Therefore, the Department has decided not to award Design grants as of Fiscal Year 2011.

**Special Project grants** are designed to assist minority institutions with activities that improve the quality of training in science and engineering at minority institutions or enhance the minority institution’s general scientific research capabilities.  A Special Project grant may be given to any applicant supporting activities that provide a needed service to a group of eligible minority institutions.  Special grants may also be used to provide in-service training for project directors, scientists, and engineers from eligible minority institutions.

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MSEIP has no cost sharing or matching requirements.

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In general, MSEIP competitions are held annually.  However, contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, the Department of Education may decide not to conduct a competition and instead, we may make additional awards in the next fiscal year from the previous competition’s list of high scoring, unfunded applications.

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MSEIP does not support scholarships or the construction of new STEM facilities.  However, it does support stipends for eligible participants and renovations of STEM facilities.

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First year MSEIP grantees are required to submit an Interim Performance Report after the first six months of the grant to document the progress made towards meeting the approved objectives.

Second and third year MSEIP grantees are required to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) documenting the progress made towards meeting the approved objectives.

Additionally, all grantees must maintain records to determine the participant’s eligibility, the services being provided to the participant, and the educational progress of the participant.

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