Minority Serving Institutions are institutions of higher education that serve minority populations. These institutions are as diverse as the populations they serve. Some are located in remote regions of the country, while others serve urban neighborhoods. Newer colleges and universities may be a few decades old, while others have been serving students for 100 years or longer.

All MSI institutions have one thing in common: a mission to provide their students with the social and educational skills needed to overcome racial discrimination and limited economic opportunities.

MSIs are sources of untapped talent, where highly educated, sought-after scientific minds are available for opportunities that will launch their science, technology, engineering or mathematics careers.

ORAU places a high priority on fostering relationships between MSIs and federal government agencies across the country, so that the best and brightest are part of advancing the nation’s science, education, workforce development and health priorities.

The MSI Research Council (MRC) is a subcommittee of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions and represents a core group of ORAU’s University Consortium. The purpose of the MRC is to establish a strategic plan for advancing the research and education capabilities of the MRC members and to develop a model framework for leading partnerships of excellence.

• Scope of Work

  The MRC will:

  • Conduct a research readiness assessment.
  • Develop a research priority list.
  • Convene at least three times each calendar year.
  • Appoint project teams and leads for each research priority.
  • Identify collaborative funding opportunities.
  • Focus on early- and mid-career research faculty.
  • Increase member applications for ORAU funding opportunities including: ODRD, Event Sponsorship, and Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Program.
• Expected Outcomes
  • Develop a differentiated research framework that maps institutional research capacity with national research priorities.
  • Better knowledge and awareness of ORAU member programs and ORAU S&T business lines.
  • Position papers on best practices in engaging MSIs in federally funded research.
  • Encourage community-based research opportunities, e.g., disparities in minority health.
  • Promote scientific, peer-reviewed publications under the MRC brand.
  • Generate extramural research funding thru collaborative efforts.
  • Increase Powe junior faculty awards to HBCU/HSI faculty.
  • Increase MSI policy advocacy at federal agencies.
  • Promote webinars and podcasts to showcase MRC initiatives and results.
• Deliverables and Milestones

  Deliverables include:

  • Appoint new chair and co-chair
  • Schedule MRC convening dates
  • Research readiness data project
  • Publications and collaborative proposals
  • Develop research priority list
  • Organize project teams and identify team leads

  Milestones include:

  • (mid) December – Announce new chair and co-chair
  • (mid) January – Host virtual meeting
  • (mid) January – Research readiness report
  • (mid) January – Assign project teams and team leads
  • (late) March – Quarterly report out for each project team

MSI Research Council Member Institutions

• View Members

  Below is a list of the MSI Research Council members and the designated ORAU Councilor.

  Institution	Councilor
  Alabama A&M University	Lloyd T. Walker
  CUNY City College (City College of New York)	Rosemarie Wesson
  Clark Atlanta University	De Lisa A. Wilson
  Fayetteville State University	Daryush Ila
  Florida A&M University	Charles Weatherford
  Florida Atlantic University	Daniel C. Flynn
  Florida International University	Andres G. Gil
  Howard University	Anthony K. Wutoh
  Jackson State University	Joseph A. Whittaker
  Johnson C. Smith University	Terik Tidwell
  Meharry Medical College	Anil Shanker
  North Carolina A&T State University	Eric R. Muth
  South Carolina State University	Elbert R. Malone
  Southern University and A&M College	Michael A. Stubblefield
  Spelman College	Sharon L. Davies
  Tennessee State University	Frances Williams
  Texas A&M University-Kingsville	Mohammad S. Alam
  Texas Tech University	Joseph A. Heppert
  Tuskegee University	Shaik Jeelani
  University of Houston	Amr Elnashai
  University of Maryland-Baltimore County	Don Engel
  University of Maryland, Eastern Shore	Ali B. Ishaque
  University of New Mexico	Ellen Fisher
  University of North Texas	Mark R. McLellan
  University of Texas at Arlington	Kimberly Mayer
  University of Texas at San Antonio	Bernard Arulanandam
  University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	Karen Martirosyan
  University of the District of Columbia	Victor McCrary