Opportunities & Partnerships are Event Goals of the 3rd Annual Air Force Outreach to Historically Black Colleges & Universities/Minority Institutions
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DAYTON, OH. -- The Air Force hosts webinar, the 3rd Annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Outreach Initiative Collider, on August 18, 2022. The collider brings together speakers representing academia, the United States Air Force, and other federal organizations to discuss funding programs and resources for academic institutions and commercial small businesses to enter partnerships to solve Air Force challenges.
This Air Force outreach initiative has established outreach goals and objectives to increase HBCU/MI participation in Air Force research funding source programs; increase research opportunities with HBCU/MIs in Air Force competency areas; working with HBCU/MIs to increase their success in competing for broader research funding sources; and increase the number of HBCU/MI spin-out companies.
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Registration to attend the virtual AF HBCU/MI Collider is free and now open on Eventbrite. Registered attendees will have access to resources and presentations following the Collider. Featured speakers include Dr. Marcus Smith, Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Officer, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); Maj Gen (R) Mark Brown, Executive Director, Student Freedom Initiative; Ms. Elizabeth Escamilla, Science and Technology (S&T) Front Door Lead, Air and Space Force Tech Connect; Mr. Edward Lee, HBCU/MI Program Manager, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); Ms. Nina Archie, Sr. Program Manager, National Security Innovation Network; Ms. Kelley Kiernan, Chief Technology Officer, Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (AF SBIR/STTR), Director of Blue Cyber detailed to AF Chief Information Security Office (SAF/CISO); Ms. Helena Krusec, Deputy Engagement Lead, AFVentures, AFWERX; Mr. John Barfield, Director of Engagement and Visibility, Tennessee State University (TSU); Ms. Michele Pollard, Grants Management Specialist, US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and Founder of the Air Force HBCU/MI Outreach Initiative, Ms. Anissa Lumpkin, Senior S&T Engagement Lead, Plans and Programs Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory.
This robust group of experts will deliver information and provide direction about opportunities and partnerships with federal organizations to develop technology for today’s Warfighter to students, faculty, and researchers at HBCUs and MIs.?Topics range from funding guidance, internships, first steps to enter strategic partnerships, and opportunities for new collaborations between academia, small business, the Air Force, and other federal organizations.
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Anissa Lumpkin, Senior Science and Technology Lead and Founder of the AF HBCU/MI Outreach Initiative/Collider, and a HBCU graduate of TSU, expressed the critical need to engage universities directly. “HBCU/MIs have the research capabilities of winning technology-based government contracts, this program tackles how to advance the research capacity of HBCU/MIs in defense research and addresses the hard-hitting questions on why HBCUs have not capitalized on Air Force opportunities. This outreach program bridges that gap and continues to grow with emerging technology and talent.”
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“The first year, possibly more than any year past, 2020 showed us the increased necessity for innovative technology,” Lumpkin stated, “and also the urgent need for inclusion of ideas from areas traditionally underrepresented. STEM faculty and students from all walks need to know if they have a technology capability idea and the willingness to strive, the Air Force can help make it a reality.”?
Through work with AFWERX, the Air Force is changing the way it does business by reducing barriers and accelerating processes, seeding the future of the United States Air Force (USAF) through innovation and forward-thinking technology. This year’s AF HBCU/MI Outreach Initiative Collider serves as a resource for entry to the opportunities and partnerships available in the $97M+ USAF STTR program; a program established by Congress in the 1980s with the goal of identifying small businesses and universities that could provide a solution to the warfighter in a faster, more efficient manner. (SBIRSTTR - AFWERX))
The Air Force Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Outreach Collider is open and free to attend, presenting an excellent opportunity to expand discussions and partnerships between the Air Force and entrepreneurship space at HBCU/MIs. Dynamic presentations will help educate and open the door to sharing outstanding research, inventive technology, and engaging feedback. Come connect with peers, colleagues, and industry leaders at HBCU/MIs and the Air Force during this historic event.