IU-MSI STEM Initiative

Faculty-to-Faculty Collaborations

Indiana University has supported this initiative since 2007 and the recent Department of Navy grant has led to the development of a robust partnership among minority serving institutions. The IU-MSI STEM Initiative seeks to support and encourage faculty teams across our partner institution in the development and submission of collaborative research proposals. These proposals are designed to be submitted to external funding agencies or foundations to advance STEM research.

As one of our IU faculty recently wrote, “I have enjoyed working with you and participating in myriad aspects of your programs that promote diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, most recently in the context of the IU-MSI STEM Initiative funded jointly by the HBCU/MI Program at the Office of Naval Research and Indiana University. These programs are spectacular in the impact they have on students and faculty from partner institutions, who have participated since the program’s inception, and credit should be given to you and your colleagues for a well thought out set of goals and purposefully implemented strategies for this continually forward thinking initiative.” (C.D., IUB)

A faculty member from one of the MSI partner institution had this to say, “Without any doubt, this initiative makes it possible for “thinking beyond boundaries,” which means to build partnerships for “interdisciplinary” cutting-edge research and pathways to submit proposals in new areas of research. Of course, these kinds of proposals are not possible without strong collaboration and good understanding between the principal investigators.” (D.T., CAU)

Grant Goals: 20, 60 and 15

In 2015, IU approached the Department of Navy HBCU/MI program to secure a grant with three major goals: 1) to invite 20 minority serving institution partners into the initiative, 2) to engage 60 faculty in research collaborations, and, 3) to have 15 research grants submitted for funding in five years.

At the end of year four of the grant, we invited 22 minority serving institutions to join the initiative, with 16 joining as fully engaged partners. We also have over 147 fully engaged faculty from IU Bloomington, IUPUI and all of the MSI partners. And, as of this writing, the number of submitted grants currently exceeds 30, and still growing, as the momentum increases in the final year of the grant.