HCC awarded exploratory grant from NAS Gulf Research Program
Sep 10, 2015
Houston Community College is among several colleges and universities chosen to receive a portion of an exploratory grant totaling more than $1.5M from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The grant is intended to catalyze innovative thinking in one of two themes:
1. How to effectively educate and train offshore oil and gas and health professionals.
2. How to improve understanding of links between human well-being and ecosystem services related to oil and gas production.
Research topics selected by the institutions were chosen through a competitive, external peer-review process highlighting the importance and quality of the work being done.
HCC was awarded a $138,000 grant for the research topic Identifying critical middle-skilled positions and career pathways in the upstream oil and gas industry. By identifying the most safety-critical jobs in the Gulf Coast of Mexico, project partners intend to help industry standardize and prioritize training programs that enhance safety culture and reduce risk during offshore drilling. Partners also plan to develop a training program for one of the jobs identified. Dr. Madeline Burillo, associate vice chancellor of Workforce Instruction at HCC, is taking the lead on the project.
“Research provided us the framework to align curriculum with industry standards, expand professional development for our faculty, and engage in third party accreditations for our workforce programs,” she said.
As a leader of innovative education and driver of the Houston workforce, HCC is operating under the Center of Excellence model to offer high quality training and education that aligns with industry needs and are a reflection of the Houston economy. The Centers of Excellence include: Business, Construction, Consumer Arts & Sciences, Digital & Information Technology, Engineering, Global Energy & Process Technology, Health Sciences, Logistics, Manufacturing, Material Science, Media Arts & Technology, and Public Safety & Automotive Technology.
The one-year grant provides seed money for research in its early conceptual phase, for activities that can accelerate concept to testing, or for development of novel approaches. This grant could also support the application of new expertise or engagement of non-traditional disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives.
“We look forward to seeing how the innovative proposals funded under the first theme contribute to workforce capacity building,” said Gulf Research Program senior program officer Evonne Tang. “We are also pleased that the projects funded under the second theme so clearly illustrate the links between human health and well-being and ecosystem services.”
To learn more about the exploratory grant, please visit www.nas.edu/gulf/grants/grantees/index.htm. More information about other Gulf Research Program funding opportunities is available at www.nationalacademies.org/gulf/funding.
The Gulf Research Program was established by agreements arising from the settlement of the U.S. government’s criminal complaints following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, and seeks to improve understanding of the interconnecting human, environmental, and energy systems of the Gulf of Mexico and other U.S. outer continental shelf areas, and foster application of these insights to benefit Gulf communities, ecosystems, and the nation. The Gulf Research Program funds studies, projects, and other activities using three broad approaches: research and development, education and training, and environmental monitoring.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. The Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org.
To learn more about the workforce programs offered at the HCC Centers of Excellence, visit hccs.edu/coe.