Inspiring and developing the workforce through research partnerships on critical missions
Anthony Sanders
The Securing Top Academic Research & Talent (START) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program is essential for Sandia. The program fosters strategic relationships with selected HBCUs and facilitates opportunities for qualified underrepresented minorities (URM) pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
START HBCU Program Universities provide Sandia with expertise in fields complementary to those of Sandia and a mechanism for increasing Sandia’s talent pipeline.
Universities in the START HBCU Program and at other Minority Serving Institutions are all supported by campus executives from Sandia and have a dedicated lead in the Academic Programs office. These relationships are further strengthened through joint research collaborations and supplemental funding for faculty/students participating in qualifying proposals.
Partnership Goals
- Solve big national problems while increasing the percentage of underrepresented minority students pursuing advanced degrees in STEM.
- Identify opportunities with other Sandia university partnership programs and National Security Enterprise labs to create joint research opportunities with HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions.
- Accelerate technology adoption by establishing external collaborations and identifying joint technology development and commercialization opportunities.
- Sustain and engage human capital by strengthening the workforce and significantly increasing the percentage of URM hires at Sandia.