Warner & Kaine Announce Nearly $1 Million For NSU Stem Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced that Norfolk State University, a historically black university, will receive $999,845 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) academic programs in an effort to recruit and retain African American students in the science community.

“For future generations to succeed, we must continue to promote and improve our STEM programs at every level and in communities of color,” said the Senators. “Enhancing STEM programs in elementary and secondary education curriculums was a top priority for us during our governorships, and we are excited that the National Science Foundation will help Norfolk State University pursue this valuable endeavor within higher education.”

In 2015, Warner and Kaine sponsored the Virginia Science Festival in partnership with other Virginia colleges and universities to promote interactive STEM research projects across the Commonwealth. Last month on Capitol Hill, the Senators hosted hundreds of Virginia students at a screening of the film Hidden Figures that tells the stories of three trailblazing African-American women ‘computers’ at NASA Langley to promote the study of STEM disciplines.  

Today’s funding is made available through the NSF’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) which supports the development of research capability at HBCUs that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines.

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