The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the first group of faculty for its innovative Faculty-Applied Clean Energy Sciences (FACES) program. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between DOE labs and the academic community, improve STEM education, and promote clean energy responsibility in social and environmental sciences. The program focuses on providing hands-on research opportunities for faculty members from minority-serving institutions (MSI), including Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNHSIs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution (AANAPISIs).
During the 10-week summer program, MSI faculty members will work alongside scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. Their primary goal is to develop educational modules on various clean energy topics that can be easily scaled. These modules will be incorporated into the curriculum at their home educational institutions and shared among MSIs to help teachers develop resources that can help students pursue careers in clean energy. Terrence Mosley, senior advisor for diversity and STEM at DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), expressed his excitement about the opportunity given to MSI faculty members to engage directly with DOE and national laboratories through FACES. He stated that by expanding their research networks and empowering them to educate students on cutting-edge clean energy science topics, the program aims to enhance STEM education and promote diversity in the scientific workforce to create a sustainable future for America.