Jackson State University will share a $20 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation that will spur creative discovery and economic opportunities through Mississippi’s research universities.
With the grant funding, the state of Mississippi will establish the Center for Emergent Molecular Optoelectronics, an inter-disciplinary, multi-institution materials research program. Mississippi State University will serve as the project’s administrative lead, and the University of Southern Mississippi will serve as the science lead. The University of Mississippi also will be a part of the new center, which will facilitate the development of research capabilities and educational opportunities in the growing optoelectronic, energy and biotechnology research fields.
The NSF grant comes through the organization’s EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) program, which enhances the research competitiveness of states and jurisdictions by strengthening STEM capacity and capability.
“Jackson State University is elated to be a partner of this groundbreaking venture for the state of Mississippi and Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” said Dr. William B. Bynum Jr., president of Jackson State. “It is my hope that we continue to expand on these opportunities to spur economic growth for Mississippi and enhance educational opportunities for our students.”
The new center will benefit from connections to national laboratories, NSF Top 100 research universities, state development officials and representatives from industry. The grant also will fund K-14 outreach efforts aimed at creating a stronger, more diverse pipeline of STEM students.