Since the first awards were made in 2001, NOAA EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Center institutions have awarded post-secondary degrees to over 2,100 students in NOAA-mission fields. The primary long term goal of EPP/MSI is to increase the number of students, particularly from underrepresented communities, who attend NOAA CSC institutions and graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and natural resource management/policy. These graduates will be diverse and well-trained candidates for the future NOAA workforce.

Current CSC awards support Centers at:

• Florida A&M University
• Howard University
• City College of the City University of New York
• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

These institutions partner with 24 additional universities. These Centers train students in core NOAA mission fields: 

• coastal and marine ecosystems
• atmospheric sciences & meteorology
• earth system sciences and remote sensing technology
• living marine resources

The CSC awards support:

1. increasing the number of post secondary graduates with STEM degrees who are qualified to solve today’s environmental and technological challenges;
2. creating new opportunities for underrepresented populations to be introduced to career paths within NOAA; and,
3. working collaboratively with NOAA in areas of science, resource management and social science solutions to real world problems in local communities.