WASHINGTON, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected 23 minority-serving institutions to receive $1.2 million to grow their research and technology capabilities, collaborate on research projects, and contribute to the agency's missions for the benefit of humanity.

Through NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN) award, selected institutions will receive up to $50,000 each for a six-month period to work directly on STEM projects with subject matter experts in NASA's mission directorates.

"As NASA looks to inspire the next generation, the Artemis Generation, we are intentional in increasing access for all," said Shahra Lambert, NASA senior advisor for engagement and equity. "It's a daring task to return to the Moon then venture to Mars, but NASA is known to make the impossible possible. By funding partnerships such as MPLAN, and tapping into all pools of STEM resources, including MSIs, we are ensuring the future of our missions are in good hands."

The awards will contribute to research opportunities in preparation for larger funding programs such as NASA's annual Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer solicitation, the Space Technology Research Grant Program within the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate, the University Leadership Initiative within the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and the Human Research Program within NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate.

"These awards will help unlock the full potential of students traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research and careers," said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of STEM Engagement Projects at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Through this award, universities receive support, resources, and guidance directly from NASA experts, which can be a game changer for the work they do to develop technological innovations that contribute to NASA missions and benefit all of humanity."

The awardees are as follows:

• Arizona State University
  Drones for Contact-inclusive Planetary Exploration 

• California State University-Dominguez Hills
  Bioinspired Surface Design for Thermal Extremes 

• California State University-Fresno
  Human-Centric Digital Twins in NASA Space Missions 

• California State University-Northridge
  Repurposing Lander Parts into Geodesic Assemblies 

• California State University, Monterey Bay
  Crafting Biofuels via Molecular Insights 

• CUNY New York City College of Technology
  Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate for Seed Growth: Microgreens in Space 

• Delgado Community College, New Orleans, Louisiana
  Freshmen Access to CubeSat Education 

• Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina
  New Tech for Storm Tracking with Machine Learning 

• Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia 
  Sustained Approach for Energetic Lunar Operation 

• New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
  Information-Theoretic Multi-Robot Exploration 

• Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
  Robot Leg Design for Lunar Exploration 

• Regents of New Mexico State University
  Extreme Aerodynamics Over Small Air Vehicles 

• San Diego State University
  Enhanced Aero-Composites: Reinforcement Innovation 

• San Francisco State University
  Early Non-invasive Diagnosis of Heart Diseases 

• San Jose State University
  Designing Resilient Battery System for Space 

• Southern University and A & M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  X-Ray 3D Printing of Nanocomposites for AME
  Plant Antimicrobial in Space Exploration using AI

• Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia
  Non-contact Optical Sensor for Biomedicine 

• The Research Foundation of CUNY on behalf of City College, New York
  Soft Tendril-inspired Robot for Space Exploration 

• The University of Texas at San Antonio
  Hydrodynamic Stability of Jets via Neural Networks
  Low-SWaP Water Electrolyzer for Lunar/Martian In-Situ Resource Utilization 

• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  Tuneable NanoEnergetic Microthruster Cartridges 

• University of California, Irvine
  Flexible Modular Robots for Extreme Access 

• University of Hawaii at Manoa
  Ultrasound methods for monitoring carcinogenesis 

• University of New Mexico
  All-climate and Ultrafast Aluminum Ion Batteries 

The awarded institutions and their partners are invited to meet with NASA researchers and MUREP representatives throughout the remainder of 2024. The meetings serve as training sessions to pursue future NASA opportunities. These trainings focus primarily on fostering collaboration, enhancing technical skills, and providing insights into NASA's research priorities to better prepare participants for future opportunities.

To learn more about MPLAN, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/49gsZ9X

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SOURCE NASA