WASHINGTON — The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today the addition of five universities to the Gulf Scholars Program (GSP), a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program to prepare undergraduate students to address pressing environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf of Mexico region. The institutions are Auburn University, Mississippi State University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Florida.  

These place-based education programs engage students and faculty from a range of academic disciplines to cultivate interdisciplinary knowledge and get students ready to take on challenges that lie at the intersections of social, environmental, and energy systems. Over the next five years, these programs are projected to graduate over 250 students as Gulf Scholars and involve over 6,000 other students, faculty, and community members in program-related courses, events, and activities.  

This third cohort of schools joins a growing network — currently 18 programs that help students gain hands-on knowledge of environmental, energy, and resilience issues facing the Gulf region. As part of the program, each student will complete a major research or creative project in partnership with a local or regional organization to support their work, helping these students develop critical skills. 

“These excellent institutions are important additions as we continue to grow the Gulf Scholars Program,” said Karena Mothershed, senior program manager of the GRP’s Board on Gulf Education and Engagement. “The future of the Gulf region will be shaped by the vision, creativity, and passion of the next generation of leaders, and this program is designed to provide them with the tools and inspiration to make it an even better place to live, work, and thrive.” 

The pilot phase of the program is planned to last through 2025. Each year, the GRP will select and fund a cohort of five to seven colleges and universities to establish a Gulf Scholars Program at their institutions and join the GSP network. By the end of the pilot phase, the GRP aims to involve more than 25 public and private universities, with an intentional focus on minority serving institutions. 

This pilot phase sets the stage for broader implementation of similar programs at other colleges and universities in the region, resulting in an extensive network of higher education partners working toward a more resilient and sustainable Gulf region. 

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. It seeks to enhance offshore energy system safety and protect human health and the environment by catalyzing advances in science, practice, and capacity to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf of Mexico region and the nation. The program has $500 million for use over 30 years to fund grants, fellowships, and other activities in the areas of research and development, education and training, and monitoring and synthesis. 

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. 

Contact:
Pete Nelson, Director of Communications
Gulf Research Program
PNelson@nas.edu