Minority Serving Institutions Program

The Office of University Programs (OUP) helps build a diverse, highly capable, technical workforce for the Homeland Security Enterprise through the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Program.

About Minority Serving Institutions Program

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The Office of University Programs (OUP) Minority Service Institutions (MSI) Program provides opportunities that foster and cultivate a diverse university-based research capability and talented workforce and prepares motivated students to launch successful homeland security-related careers. MSI Program offerings are designed to:

• Advance the research capabilities of students and faculty that contribute to MSI capacity building
• Cultivate scientific leadership in areas of study critical to homeland security
• Recruit and diversify the next generation of the homeland security workforce 
• Provide opportunities for students and junior faculty to directly engage with professionals in their area of interest.

Funding and Partnership Opportunities for Students and Academic Institutions

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The DHS Scientific Leadership Award (SLA) Program provides grants to students and faculty in research relevant to the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE) and pairs recipients with a COE sponsor to learn techniques, build capacity and connect with organizations that support homeland security mission areas.

These awards support the development of enduring educational and research capabilities within the MSI communities. SLA recipients are provided a COE mentor to steer their research effort, they have ability to build connections across the COE Consortium, including MSIs tied to COEs. 

Undergraduate and Graduate Students and Early-Career Faculty

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The DHS Summer Research Team (SRT) Program places MSI teams comprised of early-career faculty, undergraduate and graduate students for ten weeks to conduct full-time collaborative research at a DHS COE. The program provides opportunities to understand the mission and research needs of DHS and make advances in DHS research areas. SRT awards pair MSI junior faculty and students with mentors at standing COE's, connecting them with top-tier research staff and faculty to help them develop their research capacity and connect them with greater understanding of the needs of DHS and the HSE.

Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Homeland Security Workforce Opportunities to Increase Research Engagement and Diversity (HS-WIRED): An 8-12-week internship program for graduate and undergraduate MSI students interested in supporting cutting-edge research with leading scientists and engineers. Participants conduct research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), providing an opportunity to establish connections with DOE professionals working on homeland security-related research.

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Homeland Security Professional Opportunities for Student Workforce to Experience Research (HS-POWER): This program provides undergraduate and graduate students with paid opportunities to participate in quality homeland security-related research experiences with research facilities and DHS component entities nationwide, either onsite or in a virtual environment. Application times are between September - December.

• Follow @DHSSciTech on social media platforms to learn more about our interns and their projects.
• Throughout the year, many of our partners and programs issue requests for information and calls for proposals on topics of importance to the Homeland Security mission. Visit S&T's Funding and Partnership Opportunities page to view current announcements. 

Learn more about DHS Education Programs