ML24365A017

Enclosure 2025 Annual Plan to Increase Support and Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Hbcus)

ML24365A017
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/13/2025
From:	Christopher Hanson NRC/Chairman
To:	Cardona M US Dept of Education, Secretary
Shared Package
ML24365A016	List: ML24365A017 ML24365A018
References
CORR-24-0108, LTR-24-0259
Download: ML24365A017 (1)

Text

2025 Annual Plan to Increase Support and Opportunities for HBCUs White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities Submission Instructions: By January 8, 2025, prepare and submit a 508 Compliant electronic copy of your agency's 2025 Annual HBCU Agency Plan to the following office:

U. S. Department of Education White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHI-HBCUs) whireports@ed.gov 202-288-2437 The Initiative will submit your report to the Secretary of Education, the Executive Office of the President, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives, and the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs (as established in section 3 ofExecutive Order 14041 and section 4 of the HBCU PARTNERS Act). A copy of your report may also be made available to the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (in support of Section 101(d) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (42 U.S.C. 6621) and Section 10522 of the CHIPS and Science Act (Pub.L.117-167)).

Part I The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses and regulates the Nation's civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety, to promote the common defense and security, and to protect the environment.

Agency Plan Point of

Contact:

Email Address:

Plan Preparation Office:

Tuwanda M. Smith, Esq., Manager, Affirmative Employment and Diversity Management Program Tuwanda.Smith@nrc.gov Office of Small Business and Civil Rights (SBCR) 2

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Agency HBCU Goal(s) 1 Statement(s)

Metric(s) of Success Part II Many agencies developed 4-year goals in the Federal Competitiveness Strategy in 2020.

Agencies were asked to include their HBCU Goals in the FY24 HBCU Plans. On February 14, 2020, the NRC's Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan was publicly issued by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through HBCUs. That plan continues to serve as the agency's baseline for fulfilling the requirements in Executive Order (EO) 14041, "White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Historically Black Colleges and Universities," dated September 3, 2021.

The NRC has five high-level, strategic approaches to achieve its HBCU goals: (1) Increase HBCU outreach and workforce recruitment; (2) Increase representation of HBCUs in NRC career development and placement programs; (3) Increase the award of contracts, cooperative agreements, and other financial resources to HBCUs; (4) Increase HBCU participation in research and development, and (5) Increase HBCU outreach and participation in the NRC's Small Business Program. Table 1 below describes the NRC's HBCU goals.

The NRC will continue to work toward meeting the HBCU metrics identified in its FY 2021-2022 HBCU Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan. The NRC will also evaluate whether the metrics are appropriately measured against each HBCU goal, with the intent of driving increased opportunities for HBCUs in accordance with the White House Initiative.

Table 1 below describes the NRC's metrics for achieving its HBCU goals.

Goals: This is a high-level outcome you seek to achieve or improve. Agencies may have more than one goal or submit an all-inclusive goal.

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Table 1. The NRC's FY 2021-2022 HBCU Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan and Measurable Progress Goal HBCU Goal 1: Increase outreach to, and employment of, HBCU students, including through special hiring authorities.

HBCU Goal 2: Increase HBCU students' representation in NRC career development and placement programs.

Measurable Action (1) Increase campus-based recruitment events conducted at HBCUs.

(2) Increase the number of HBCU students offered noncompetitive employment.

Increase HBCU student's participation in NRC career development and placement programs or initiatives.

Performance Level (1)

(2) 25% of campus-based recruitment events will be conducted at HBCUs.

The number of HBCU students offered noncompetitive employment will increase by 10%.

Increase HBCU student participation in 5 or more NRC career development and placement programs or initiatives.

5 (1)

(2)

Time Frame End of Year 2023 Exceeded.

28%

Not met.

0.0%

Not met. Four students attending HBCUs participated in the NRC's Co-Op Program. Of those students, one student converted to an entry-level position, another student accepted a job in private industry, and the remaining two students are still Status as of FY2024 (1) Exceeded.

34.2%

(2) Not met. 2.7%

Not met. Two students attending HBCUs participated in the NRC's Co-Op Program. One of those students converted to an entry-level position. The other student remains in the Co-Op Program.

Status as of December 2024 In progress In progress

Table 1. The NRC's FY 2021-2022 HBCU Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan and Measurable Progress Goal Measurable Action Performance Level HBCU Goal 3: Increase the Increase annual contracting

$3 million percentage and amount of with HBCUs to $3 million.

funds awarded to HBCUs through contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, the NRC's Scholarship and Fellowship Program, and other sources.

HBCU Goal 4: Increase (1) Increase HBCU (1) 5 or more opportunities for HBCUs to participation in research (2) $3 million participate in research and and development grant development, and NRC opportunities by 5 or more program-specific research HBCUs.

6 Time Frame End of Year 2023 in the Co-Op Program.

Not met. The NRC did not award any contract funds in this category directly to HBCUs.

Ten applicants were submitted to the FY2022 MSIGP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and two HBCUs were awarded grants in FY2023 for

$600,000 and

$199,938, respectively.

(1) Not met.

One HBCU received a grant subaward

($149,933)

Status as of FY2024 Not met. During FY2024,a subcontracting award was made to an HBCU under the Enterprisewide Contract for the Operation of the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses.

Of 11 grant applications submitted to the MSIGP, none were from HB.CUs.

(1) Met. Five HBCUs received grant subawards

($169,236) as partners under Status as of December 2024 Ongoing small business counseling is being made available to HBCUs.

(1) See Part Ill, number 2.

(2) Efforts include expanded partnership language in

Table 1. The NRC's FY 2021-2022 HBCU Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan and Measurable Progress Goal and development opportunities.

HBCU Goal 5: Increase outreach to HBCUs and HBCU participation in the NRC's Small Business Program (i.e., outreach, training, contract opportunities).

Measurable Action (2) Increase grant awards to HBCUs to $3 million.

Increase small business outreach, training, and counseling geared toward NRC contracting opportunities by 5 or more HBCUs.

Performance Level 5 or more Time Frame End of Vear 2023 Status as of FV2024 as a partner NRC research under an grants.

NRC research (2) Not met.

grant.

(2) Not met.

I Not met. HBCUs Not met. HBCUs have agreements have agreements and contracts and contracts with the NRC's with the NRC's subcontractors subcontractors lmmersive lmmersive Concepts and Concepts and Symposit, LLC.

Symposit, LLC.

Agency website(s) where HBCU opportunities are posted/listed https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment.html https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/contracting.html https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/grants.html 7

Status as of December 2024 NOFOs, HBCU participation on panel

reviews, monitoring grant administration processes, and extensive outreach to HBCUs, as described in t_h_is r~ort.

In progress

Funding Table Research & Development I $7,300,764 Awards/Contracts I $199,236 IN/A I

To increase the participation of Minority Serving Institutions (MSls), a selection criterion was added to the proposal technical evaluation process to incentivize MSI partnerships, whereby institutions could receive up to 10 points when including an MSI partnership in the project description. Please see Part Ill, number 2 below showing FY2023 and 2024 Research & Development grant awards to IHEs who partnered with HBCUs.

Program Evaluation I so I so IN/A IN/A Awards/Contracts Education and Training I so I so IN/A IN/A Awards/Contracts Facilities and Equipment I so I so IN/A IN/A Awards/Contracts Direct Institutional

$0

$0 IN/A IN/A Subsidies Internships {N/A),

2024 awards

$0 N/A The NRC has established its University Nuclear Traineeships have not yet Leadership Program {UNLP) (formerly the (N/A),

been made.

Integrated University Program). To increase MSI Scholarships, participation, a selection criterion was added to Fellowships, and the proposal technical evaluation process to Recruitment incentivize MSI partnerships, whereby institutions Strategies could receive up to 10 points when including an MSI partnership in the project description.

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Minority Serving

$1,788,219

$799,938 N/A In FY2023, 10 applications were submitted to the Institutions Grants MSIGP. Two HBCUs were issued grants. North Program Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University received a grant of $600,000 for a project entitled "Participation in Nuclear Engineering (PINE): Research and Education Concentration of Mechanical Engineering Emphasizing Cooling, Safety, Radiation Shielding, Protection and Reliability." South Carolina State University received a grant of $199,938 for a project entitled "South Carolina State University-Nuclear Engineering Program Scholarship Support 2024." In FY2024 11 applications were submitted, to the MSIGP, none were from HBCUs.

Other Activities I $0 I ::99.174 IN/A I

$9,088,983 N/A 9

Part Ill (1) Provide data-driven or demonstrated progress your agency made in FY2024 towards advancing or achieving the mission of Executive Order 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act. (What steps did your agency take to increase the capacity of HBCUs to participate in the programs and initiatives under your agency's jurisdiction and/or to make competitive funding models more accessible in FY2024? For federal research agencies, please indicate if any steps were also responsive to/supportive of Section 10522 of the CHIPS and Science Act.)

The NRC describes the progress it has made to achieve the missions of EO 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act throughout this report and incorporates it by reference in this section. Steps taken to make funding more accessible to HBCUs in FY2024 included the following: (1) The NRC continued to encourage partnerships with MSls, including HBCUs, by allowing partnering institutions to receive up to 10 points during the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) grant evaluation processes for the UNLP and research and development funding. (2) The NRC expanded the funding category to include apprenticeships as part of MSIGP funding opportunities. (3) The NRC provided direct small business counseling to HBCUs about agency contracting opportunities. (4) The NRC's MSI Program and Small Business Program partnered with the General Services Administration (GSA) to contact a broad segment of the HBCU community related to the NRC's Global Infrastructure and Development Acquisition 2.0 (GLINDA2.0) to encourage HBCU participation in small business set-aside multi-award contract opportunities up to $550,000. (S) Based on technical assistance and small business counseling provided to several HBCUs, the NRC anticipates partnerships will be formed with other businesses for the purpose of participating in other FY2025 information technology (IT) contract opportunities. (6) The NRC Chair hosted a meeting, followed by a roundtable, with the President, Vice-President of Research & Economic Development, and other key staff from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU). The purpose of the engagement was to identify opportunities to increase collaboration with AAMU, support development of technical and corporate programs at AAMU related to NRC workforce needs and share information about NRC programs and funding opportunities (e.g., grants, contracts).

The paragraphs that follow discuss other NRC program efforts and outcomes that demonstrate how the agency achieves the missions of EO 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act.

University Champions The NRC developed the University Champions (UC) Program as part of its overall human capital strategy to position the agency to be competitive in an evolving environment. Through this program, NRC managers and senior staff volunteer to serve as representatives of the agency and establish a close relationship with university officials. A UC establishes a high-level presence on a university campus. The NRC currently has 23 UCs at 13 HBCUs. Examples of UC activities include the following:

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Participate in meetings with engineering and science department heads, professors, and career counselors to discuss student and entry-level employment opportunities and disciplines of interest to the NRC.

Provide grant information and promote the NRC as an employer of choice.

Participate in career fairs and conduct classroom technical presentations.

Conduct NRC information sessions for student organizations.

Identify candidates for the Temporary Summer Student Internship Program (TSSIP), the Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network (NRAN) Program, and other vacancies at the agency and encourage them to apply to the posted announcements.

Participate on campus by serving on panels or technical advisory committees, or as a guest lecturer or speaker.

Develop webinars and host resume clinics.

NextGen The agency's NextGen cohort is a group of staff members who have volunteered to help attract, recruit, and retain the next generation of nuclear regulator leaders to better position the NRC to support future nuclear energy demands. The group helps to coordinate events between the staff and summer interns, foster workplace engagement, and participate in internal and external networking opportunities to increase the NRC's presence in the local community and at recruitment events. The NextGen cohort leads efforts to identify gaps and solutions for optimizing the recruitment of the next generation of regulators. The group also helps the agency identify and address recruitment and retention needs as the NRC and the nuclear industry evolve.

Summer RISE Program The NRC Chapter of Blacks in Government and the Advisory Committee for African Americans, along with SBCR, cohosted the agency's FY2024 Montgomery County Public Schools Summer RISE Program, which works with local companies to provide opportunities to high school students (connecting students to careers). From June 24 through July 31, 2024, the NRC staff provided rising juniors and seniors with in-person and virtual enriching summer career-based learning experiences.

EmbraceNRC The EmbraceNRC Summer 2024 program consisted of a team of NRC employees who welcomed summer interns to the agency. From May 30 through August 7, 2024, the program provided a broad range of experiential learning activities, including Introduction to the NRC; History of the NRC; Coffee Walks v.1ith Chair Hanson and Commissioner Wright, "M_entoring with Mccartin;" Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; 11

University of Maryland Reactor Tour; Licensing Overview; Health Physics; How to Get a Job at the NRC and Discussion with Co-Ops, NRAN Employees, and Recent Hires; Advanced Reactors and 10 CFR Part 53 Rulemaking; Coffee Chat-Executive Director for Operations Panel; Coffee Chat-Day in the Life of a Licensing Officer & Desk Officer; Office of the Inspector General; Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Rulemaking 101; Oversight Overview; Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs; SBCR and Gender Equity; Resident Inspector Panel; Emergency Response-Real Life Stories; Bellefonte Tours; Operations Center and Headquarters Operations Officers; Inspection Disciplines; Small Modular Reactors and 10 CFR Part 52; a virtual Comanche Peak Plant Tour.

(2) Provide details on grant, contract, or cooperative agreement funding secured by HBCUs from your agency during FY2024, including, to the degree practicable, the participation of HBCUs as subrecipients or subcontractors. (Examples include:

Department of Health and Human Service's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), and National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).

See Part Ill, number 1, related to steps taken to make competitive funding more accessible to HBCUs in FY2024.

In FY2024, the MSIGP awarded two HBCU grants. North Carolina A& T State University received a grant of $600,000 for a project entitled "Participation in Nuclear Engineering (PINE): Research and Education Concentration of Mechanical Engineering Emphasizing Cooling, Safety, Radiation Shielding, Protection and Reliability." South Carolina State University received a grant of $199,938 for a project entitled "South Carolina State University-Nuclear Engineering Program Scholarship Support 2024."

In FY2024, the UNLP awarded five Research and Development grants to IHEs who partnered with HBCUs. The partnerships were as follows:

Kansas State University ($499,647) with Fisk University ($15,000); North Carolina State University ($500,000) with Fayetteville State University

($50,000); University of Wisconsin - Madison ($500,000) with Alabama A&M University ($12,736); The Ohio State University ($500,000) with Central State University ($45,000); and University of Missouri - Columbia ($499,628) with Tuskegee University ($76,500).

(3) Provide examples of HBCU partnerships formed, existing opportunities modified to incentivize effective partnerships with HBCUs, new opportunities developed, and/or existing funding opportunities expanded in FY2024. Include what HBCU capacity or need the opportunity or change aimed to be responsive to.

The NRC staff actively participated in the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for HBCUs (WHI-HBCU), the WHI-HBCU Contract Cluster Subcommittee, the HBCU Conference Week Planning Committee, and several interagency working groups led by the White House Federal Committee on STEM. The NRC also attended the FY2024 Annual HBCU Conference; the Federal Meet and Gre_e_!_with _ir,~titutions, workshops, and sessions; and the Career and Recruitment Fair.

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The Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) administers the NRC's outreach and recruitment efforts, supported by SBCR, and also oversees the UC Program, under which hiring officials and management representatives maintain a high level of NRC presence at university campuses. The UCs communicate the NRC's missioQ, needed disciplines and skills, job openings, and developments related to nuclear safety and security. As of September 30, 2024, 10 UCs supported recruitment and outreach to the following HBCUs: Howard University (three events),

MMU (three events), North Carolina A& T State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State University, Jackson State University, South Carolina State University, and Lincoln University.

In 2024, the NRC hosted an in-person Career Expo (May 9) and an NRC Career Opportunities-Virtual Info Session (April 26) to help fill vacancies from across the agency in a variety of disciplines. The expo and virtual session were broadly advertised to external participants, including MSls and HBCUs.

In FY2024, NRC employees at all levels participated in virtual and in-person conferences, seminars, and informational sessions, such as the Blacks In Government National Training lnstitute's Conference/Career Booth; the National Society of Black Physicists and National Society of Hispanic Physicists 2024 Conference; Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Cooperative Developmental Energy Program's (CDEP's) annual consortium meeting, FVSU's auditorium naming ceremony, the 41st Annual Energy Career Day and Student Recruitment Conference, and other CDEP events that have served as a pipeline for NRC health physicists, and a virtual capability presentation with FVSU's Endowment Campaign Committee; Morgan State University's Black History Month celebration of "African Americans and the Arts" career exploration event hosted by the White House Initiative on HBCUs, which invited students to learn about opportunities within the Federal government; and the Annual National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference.

The NRC's Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and the MSI staff recently partnered with Howard University Law School's Energy and Environmental Law Society to connect students with NRC attorneys and advertise the NRC's recruitment programs for summer legal interns and entry-level attorneys. As of December 2024, this included participation in two job fairs where the agency (1) advertised potential job openings, (2) talked to students about responsibilities in the field, and (3) promoted the NRC as an employer of choice.

(4) How is the agency approaching implementation of actions pursuant to EO 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act in FY2025?

In FY 2020, to demonstrate the agency's continued commitment to building a diverse talent pipeline, the NRC implemented its FY 2021-2022 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Competitiveness Strategic Framework Plan, which was mandated by the White House Policy Manag~ment Counsel to improve the competitiveness, ca~~i!y_, and contributions of HBCUs (e.g., participation in Federal programs, career 13

development and placement, and funding opportunities). The NRC's plan follows the Framework for the Development of a Federal HBCU Competitiveness Strategy issued to agencies on February 14, 2020. The NRC's plan continues to serve as the agency's baseline for advancing and achieving the goals of EO 14041. The NRC will continue to work toward meeting the HBCU metrics identified in the plan. The NRC's FY2024 performance results pursuant to EO 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act are captured throughout this reporting document. In FY2025, the NRC will continue to conduct activities pursuant to EO 14041 and the HBCU PARTNERS Act.

(5) What changes to policies and practices are being made in FY2025 by the agency to ensure that barriers to participation for HBCUs are addressed and removed? For federal research agencies, please also indicate if your agency's proposed changes to policies and practices are responsive to Section 10522 of the CHIPS and Science Act and/or are supportive of the White House report on advancing research capacity at HBCUs.

The NRC has processes in place that address the identification and elimination of barriers for HBCUs. For example, SBCR concurs on the agency's annual recruitment schedule, participates in pre-and post-recruitment activities, and coordinates efforts with the NRC's UCs to ensure inclusion of HBCUs and other groups in campus outreach efforts. SBCR reviews recruitment and applicant flow data to assess the effectiveness of the NRC's recruitment and outreach efforts and provides input on future efforts. SBCR also monitors tracked sources (e.g., recruitment schedules, outreach efforts, the Inclusive Diversity Strategic Plan activity reports, agency workforce assessments, and statistical data tables) to identify potential barriers to HBCU participation. Additionally, SBCR monitors and coordinates efforts involving the NRC's education investment pre-and post-award grants administration processes to ensure fairness, equality, and compliance with applicable regulations.

The NRC continues to actively engage in ongoing partnerships and activities as a member of numerous Federal lnteragency Working Groups (IWGs) (i.e., White House Initiatives Office that supports/assists HBCUs; and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy office for STEM Education and Workforce, CoSTEM Committee, Federal Coordination on STEM Subcommittee, IWG for Safe and Inclusive STEM Environments, IWG for HBCU, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and MSI STEM Achievement). The NRC is a member of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Partnership for Nuclear Energy (PNE) Council-a new initiative led by the ORAU-STEM Accelerator program.

The PNE comprises prominent leaders from local, State, and national government agencies, nonprofits, industry, and education and training organizations focused on collectively building a holistic think tank to address education, training, and workforce challenges in the U.S. nuclear industry to strengthen America's global leadership in STEM. The NRC also participated in ORAU's 2024 Annual Council meeting. The theme of the meeting was "Redefining the Next Generation STEM Enterprise" and featured the introduction of the PNE. NRC will continue to publicize partnerships with HBCUs through social media venues.

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(6) Provide a description of your agency's proposed efforts to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, and to participate in programs and initiatives under the jurisdiction of your agency in FY2025.

Grants The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) administers grants for projects relevant to the NRC's programmatic mission. These programs support research and development and educational programs for nuclear science, engineering, technology, and related disciplines to develop a workforce capable of supporting the design, construction, operation, and regulation of nuclear facilities and the safe handling of nuclear materials. Many HBCUs offer broadly focused STEM-related programs, which limits the number of HBCUs eligible for competitive review. The NRC broadened the UNLP NOFO eligibility criteria for scholarships to include community colleges legislatively authorized to award 4-year bachelor's degrees. This was done to meet workforce demands, increase access to educational and career advancement opportunities, address affordability, and raise attainment rates.

During the 2023 HBCU Week Conference, a member of the MSIGP staff served as a workshop panelist to promote HBCU participation in the MSIGP FY2024 funding opportunities and to solicit HBCU faculty to serve as volunteer grant panel reviewers. This engagement was to enable HBCUs to gain insights into and familiarity with the NRC's grant processes. In FY2024, MSIGP received 10 applications in response to the UNLP notice and awarded grants to South Carolina State University and North Carolina A& T State University.

In FY2025, the NRC is dedicated to further increasing the awareness and capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to participate in programs and initiatives.

Contracts The NRC contracts for services related to IT and cybersecurity, corporate support, research, and engineering. The agency provides an annual forecast of contract opportunities, which includes opportunities open to IHEs, including HBCUs. Examples of contracts that universities currently support at the NRC and for which the agency may purchase in the future include systematic human performance data collection, motor-operated valve training, alternative dispute resolution neutral services, guidance for evacuation time estimate studies, research on materials degradation under dry storage and transportation conditions, and technical assistance for the reactor and environmental programs. In FY2024, the NRC awarded 17 contracts to IHEs totaling $13,268,548.58 through open competition, the Simplified Acquisition Process, and sole-source methods, although no contracts were awarded to HBCUs specifically. However, an HBCU was awarded a subcontract under the Enterprisewide Contract for the Operation of the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses.

The NRC's current GLINDA Blanket Procurement Acquisition (BPA) has six awardees, two of which are small businesses. The BPAs have a period of performance of up to six years and an estimated value of $679 million. They provide the NRC with a wide range of IT infrastructure and application maintenance and operation services. Symposit LLC (a GLINDA subcontractor) is a Small Business Administration (SBA)-certified small, disadvantaged business and SBA-certified 8(a) firm that provides modern IT solutions. Symposit participates in the National Institutes of Health's 15

Path to Excellence and Innovation Program, which offers partnership opportunities to assist HBCUs in securing Government contracts. In addition, Symposit actively recruits and engages with local HBCUs from the Washington, DC, metropolitan area for consideration as Federal Government contractor support.

Similarly, lmmersive Concepts is an SBA-certified 8(a) firm and HUBZone Certified Business that provides professional services to the Federal Government and the public and private sectors and is a prime contractor on three NRC multimillion-dollar contracts. lmmersive Concepts has a memorandum of understanding with one HBCU and is in active discussions with another to hire its undergraduates and to pay students' tuition so they can acquire their graduate degrees or certifications. For example, lmmersive Concept's contract with the NRC for multimedia services includes support from an HBCU graduate who recently received a master's degree in IT from Bowie State University. Moreover, to support its public and private sector contracts, lmmersive Concepts currently employs graduates and active students from several HBCUs, which include Morgan State University, Howard University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Bowie State University, Spelman College, North Carolina A& T State University, Tennessee State University, and Virginia State University.

Cooperative Agreements No cooperative agreements or proposed actions were entered into with HBCUs.

(7) Describe how your agency plans to foster in FY2025 mutually beneficial public-private collaboration among federal agencies, federal laboratories, industry, academia, nonprofits, and community organizations to: improve the capacity of HBCUs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; identify alternative sources of funding at HBCUs; provide access to students and faculty of HBC_lJs to learning and research experiences; expand the professional networks of students and faculty of HBCUs; broaden educati.onal opportunities for students and faculty of HBCUs; or support the transition of students at HBCUs into the workforce, for example.

The NRC partners at the community level with employers, schools and universities, and public and private groups to improve education and employment opportunities and the community conditions that affect employability. This includes recruitment outreach and strategies related to the NRC's training, development, and career placement programs (e.g., summer hires, the NRAN Program, the Honor Law Graduate Program (HLGP), the Co-Op Program, and noncompetitive and competitive hires).

The NRC will continue to explore ways to alleviate challenges HBCUs face in applying for grants (e.g. offering technical assistance to HBCUs in completing and submitting grant applications), continue outreach efforts to solicit volunteers from HBCUs to serve as grant proposal reviewers, and actively promote HBCU participation in NRC funding opportunities.

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In FY2024, the NRC held two virtual exchange events, which included topics that impact small business capital and Federal/NRC contracting and compliance. While the NRC is unable to verify HBCU attendance, both events were open to the public. The NRC will continue to (1) schedule counseling sessions to explain the resources available under the Small Business Toolbox and how to use them effectively, (2) provide information on Federal procurement opportunities, mentor/protege and support programs, how to get on the GSA contractor vendor list, and best practices for doing business with the Federal Government, (3) explore contractors' recruitment practices and participation in HBCU contracting programs during market research for upcoming agency contract opportunities, and (4) showcase the services offered by NRC's Small Business Program to assist HBCUs to identify and respond to contract opportunities. Additionally, the SBCR staff implemented a "Helpline Support" to provide external stakeholders access to assistance during normal business hours on using resources in the Small Business Toolbox.

(8) Identify federal programs and initiatives under the jurisdiction of your agency in which HBCUs are underrepresented and describe the plan, where appropriate, to address those disparities in FY2025. Also include, where applicable, plans to expand participation in intramural opportunities, as federal interns and fellows, as reviewers on peer-review panels, or as Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointees, for example.

The NRC conducts agency-led career development and placement programs to improve diversity in the NRC's workforce pipeline. The NRC is also committed to using direct-hire authority to recruit for certain hard-to-fill competitive service positions and to fill other positions through entry-level hires. Although progress has been made, SBCR's Affirmative Employment and Diversity Management (AEDM) program works to identify opportunities for greater diversity in NRC's training and placement programs. AEDM assists OCHCO, University Champions, and offices to expand HBCU recruitment outreach, establish partnerships, and increase noncompetitive hiring of HBCU students. Continued focus will be applied to encourage participation in the programs discussed below in FY2025. The subsections below summarize the current representation of HBCUs in the following programs:

TRAINING AND PLACEMENT PROGRAMS Temporary Summer Student Internship Program (TSSIP)

A key resource for improving diversity in the NRC's workforce pipeline is its summer internships, during which the NRC employs students for the summer. The TSSIP offers paid internships to students who maintain a minimum 2.85 grade point average and pursue a degree in fields including but not limited to engineering, science, IT, accounting, and business. The TSSIP occurs between May and August. In 2024, the NRC selected 61 students for the TSSIP, three of whom attended HBCUs (Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University). In FY2022, the NRC selected 60 students for the TSSIP, two of whom attended HBCUs (Howard University and Morgan State University). The NRC recognizes that progress is being made and is working to increase participation from HBCUs by encouraging HBCU students to apply for the TSSIP. The NRC posts the TSSIP vacancy announcement on www.USAJobs.gov each year from late August through late October. The FY2024 vacancy 17

announcement was placed on USAJobs on September 6, 2023, and closed October 30, 2023. U.S. citizenship is required. Answers to frequently asked questions are available at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment/students-summer-faq.html.

Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network Program The NRAN Program is a paid, full-time, 18-month training program for outstanding engineers and scientists who are graduating (B.S., M.S., PhD) and wish to start an advancement-oriented career. U.S. citizenship is required. The program is designed to develop well-rounded regulators by focusing on skill development in multiple areas across the agency through the support of mentors and NRC leaders. Participants gain real-world experience by completing three to four separate apprenticeships with technical experts to build a fundamental skill set to support future career growth. The NRAN Program's goal is to recruit, hire, develop, and retain recent college graduates who possess a technical degree (e.g., engineering, science, health physics, and other STEM disciplines) to fill critical skill gaps and projected vacancies in regulatory positions.

The NRC's first NRAN cohort started in 2020, with cohorts launching every two years. The first cohort consisted of 23 new NRAN employees, including four students from HBCUs (two from AAMU and two from South Carolina State University). Recruitment for the second cohort took place from September 2, 2021, to December 21, 2021. There were 25 members in the 2022 cohort, including one student from an HBCU (AAMU). The NRC accepted applications for the third NRAN cohort from engineering and physical science majors who will graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year. The NRAN positions are within the 0801 and 1301 occupation series. They start at Grades 7 /9/11 and go to the full performance level Grade 13. Those applicants not selected are referred to the NRC program offices and regions for entry-level consideration.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the NRAN Program are available at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/employment/nran-faq.html.

In accordance with the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2024, the NRC will Identify an annual NRAN technical cohort and conduct initial solicitations by July 9, 2025, and annually thereafter.

Student Cooperative Education Program The NRC's Student Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op Program) continues employment opportunities for student interns in an effort to feed the entry-level pipeline after graduation by offering conversion from an internship to a renewable term appointment with the goal of employment after graduation. The NRC's high conversion rate has helped make its student employment programs an especially successful means to meet long-term agency needs. In 2024, the NRC converted 38 student interns to the NRC's Co-Op Program. One of the Co-Ops selected was from an HBCU (Prairie View A&M}. As of September 30, 2024, the NRC employed a total of 48 participants in the Co-Op Program.

Honor Law Graduate Program Each year, the NRC selects a small number of graduating law students or judicial law clerks to serve in the agency's HLGP, which is the primary mechanism for hiring entry-level attorneys. During the open period for the HLGP vacancy, SBCR conducted recruitment outreach through announcements at partnership network meetings and forums and sent written correspondence to points of contact in other Federal agencies, public-private organizations,~ffiliat~ groups, and academia. SBCR also conducted outreach through_direct verbal and written notifications using 18

the U.S. Department of Education list of project directors and HBCU presidents and by making direct contact with HBCU law schools (e.g., Howard University School of Law, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, Southern University Law Center, Florida A&M College of Law, Carolina Central University School of Law, and Thurgood Marshall School of Law). As of December 2024, the NRC employs a total of nine participates in the HLGP.

(9) List the programs and initiatives at your agency targeted to HBCUs, that partner with HBCUs, and/or are open to HBCUs to participate in for FY2025.

Agencies may include a comprehensive list as an addendum.

Please denote if a program/initiative is limited to only HBCUs or if the program/initiative is limited to specific institutions or institution types which include HBCUs.

Please denote if the program/initiative is limited or targeted to certain HBCU individuals/groups, such as grant officers, faculty, postdoctoral or early career researchers, students, etc.

SBCR administers the NRC's MSIP, which includes an HBCU program and several MSI subprograms. The MSIP was established in 2006 to promote a diverse, skilled workforce pipeline. The program manager for the MSIP/HBCU program serves as the agency's point of contact and assists HBCUs to interact with the NRC.

HBCUs are encouraged to participate in the NRC's regulatory planning and decision-making processes that are open to the public (if applicable) through programs, activities, training, development, job placement, employment, and funding opportunities (e.g., grants, contracts). The following may be of particular interest to HBCUs:

Temporary Summer Student Internship Program Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network Program Student Co-Op Program Graduate Fellowship Program Honor Law Graduate Program Judicial Law Clerk Programs Resident Inspector Development Program 19

(10) Provide any other information relevant to assessing and promoting opportunities related to training, partnering, funding, and/or any other interactions with HBCUs in FY2025. Include, where applicable, plans to include HBCUs that are located in rural areas.

For federal research agencies, please indicate if activities are also responsive to Section 10522 of the CHIPS and Science

~~ ~ct and/or are supportive of the White House report on advancing research capacity at HBCUs.

(Please limit your response to 1,000 words.)

Information for this section has been provided throughout this report and is incorporated by referencing into this section.

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