U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE Announces Prize Winners in the First-Ever HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize

Today (Oct 5), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first 10 prize winners in the inaugural Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize Inspire Track. Each HBCU team selected today will receive $40,000 to support the development or enhancement of clean energy-focused summer programs for K-12 and community college students. This new prize supports President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities by helping to build a diverse STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pipeline to support America's clean energy future. 

"The HBCUs that won today have demonstrated their commitment to inspiring students to engage with and pursue careers in clean energy fields," said Terrence Mosley, senior advisor for Diversity and STEM in DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "We look forward to seeing how their projects progress in the next phase of this track, as well as the impact their programs have on the future generation of clean energy leaders."

The winning teams are:

• Albany State University, Albany, Georgia
• Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
• Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida
• Morris Brown College, Atlanta, Georgia
• Paul Quinn College, Dallas, Texas
• Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama
• University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland
• Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize a part of DOE's American-Made Challenges is comprised of two tracks: the Inspire Track and the Partnerships Track. Both tracks are designed to support HBCUs as they develop clean energy-focused programming for students.

This announcement marks the first of two phases of winners for the Inspire Track, while the Partnerships Track is currently accepting submissions for Phase 1. The Partnerships Track challenges HBCUs to build partnerships with other universities, organizations, and industry leaders to expand curriculum and resources for students. These partnerships will result in advanced clean energy programming and professional opportunities intended to better equip HBCU students with the skills needed to succeed in clean energy careers.

The Partnerships Track consists of three phases running from fall 2023 through the beginning of 2025, and it has a total prize pool of $6.75 million. Phase 1 submissions are due December 19, 2023, and it will award up to 10 winners $100,000 each. Phase 2 will begin in February 2024 and applications will be due in the spring, with up to 10 winners potentially splitting a prize pool of $4,000,000 next summer. Phase 3 will begin at the conclusion of Phase 2 next summer, and the Partnerships Track will culminate with the announcement of the three final winners who will split a prize pool of $1.75 million tentatively in January of 2025.

Resources are available to support HBCUs that are interested in competing for this prize, including an informational webinar recording, a list of organizations that are inteested in partnering with HBCUs, and a webinar to introduce interested partners and give HBCUs the chance to learn more about the opportunities they offer. These resources and more, including a link to register for the Resource Partners Webinar, can be found on the official prize page. The Resource Partners Webinar is this afternoon at 12 p.m. ET, but those who are not available to participate today will be able to access a recording on the official prize page.