NASA hosts a virtual event to take advantage of STEM and small business opportunities with minority colleges

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Media are invited to the 15th edition of NASA’s Technology Infusion Road Tour, a virtual event on November 18-19, HBCU / Minority Serving Institutions (MSI).

More than 1,200 HBCUs and MSI are attending this event with representatives from NASA offices and mission directions discussing the importance of partnerships with historically black colleges and the critical role of small businesses in ensuring the success of NASA missions.

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM), in partnership with its Office of Procurement, Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) and Space Technology Mission Directorate, will provide an open platform for HBCU and MSI representatives to learn about Minority University Research and Education of OSTEM Project (MUREP) and opportunities within the aviation research (ARMD), science and mission directions for human exploration and operations. Sessions will include keynote speakers from NASA’s key contractors and leaders within the NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR).

Participants will learn about emerging research opportunities involving grants, cooperation agreements, fellowships and contracts for small businesses. Group sessions with various NASA programs and technical staff, as well as major major contractors, will enable attendees to gain insight and strategies for pursuing procurement and technical opportunities.

Conference seminar topics and speakers:

Finding Opportunities Within NASA Mission Directions, with Gregory Robinson, program director for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope; Jose Nunez, manager of the agency’s university partnerships and SmallSat capabilities; and Koushik Datta, university innovation project manager for ARMD.

Link with NASA Small Business specialists, with Robert Watts, Christine Munroe and Jennifer Perez.

OSTEMs Minority University Research and Education (MUREP) project overview, by program director Torry Johnson

SBIR and STTR program overview, with Quenton Bonds, NASA Center Technology Transition Manager and Robert Jones, NASA SBIR Program Manager.

Collaboration with NASA Large Prime Contractors, with Jenifer Scoffield, Small Business Liaison Officer at Northrop Grumman Corporation; Toni Hall, Boeing Companys small business liaison officer for the International Space Station; and Debbie Batson, director of strategic alliances of large and small businesses at Teledyne Brown Engineering.

MUREP Funding Opportunity: NASA STEM Engagement Opportunity, with Roslyn Soto, NASA EONS Request Coordinator.

Group discussions on HBCU / MSI tutor-protg programs will include a representative from NASA’s OSBP, NASA contractors Teledyne Brown Engineering, and representatives from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.