The Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) is designed to effect long-range improvement in science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions, and to increase the flow of underrepresented ethnic minorities, particularly minority women, into scientific and technological careers.

The following are eligible to receive a grant under this part:

(a) Public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education that—

(1) Award baccalaureate degrees; and

(2) Qualify as minority institutions as defined in § 637.4.

(b) Public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education that—

(1) Award associate degrees;

(2) Qualify as minority institutions as defined in § 637.4;

(3) Have a curriculum that includes science or engineering subjects; and

(4) Enter into a partnership with public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees in science and engineering.

(c) Nonprofit science-oriented organizations, professional scientific societies, and institutions of higher education that award baccalaureate degrees that—

(1) Provide a needed service to a group of minority institutions; or

(2) Provide in-service training to project directors, scientists, and engineers from minority institutions; or

(d) A consortia of organizations, that provide needed services to one or more minority institutions. The consortia membership may include—

(1) Institutions of higher education which have a curriculum in science or engineering;

(2) Institutions of higher education that have a graduate or professional program in science or engineering;

(3) Research laboratories of, or under the contract with, the Department of Energy;

(4) Private organizations that have science or engineering facilities; or

(5) Quasi-governmental entities that have a significant scientific or engineering mission.

The following regulations apply to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program:

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as follows:

(1)[Reserved]

(2) 34 CFR part 75 (Direct Grant Programs).

(3) 34 CFR part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department Regulations).

(4) 34 CFR part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities).

(5) 34 CFR part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).

(6) [Reserved]

(7) 34 CFR part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses).

(b) The regulations in this part 637.

(c)(1) 2 CFR part 180 (OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3485; and

(2) 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3474.

(a) Definitions in EDGAR. The following terms used in this part are defined in 34 CFR part 77.

(b) Definitions that apply to this part:

Accredited means currently certified by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or making satisfactory progress toward achieving accreditation.

Act means the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Minority means American Indian, Alaskan Native, black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic (including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American origin), Pacific Islander or other ethnic group underrepresented in science and engineering.

Minority institution means an accredited college or university whose enrollment of a single minority group or a combination of minority groups as defined in this section exceeds fifty percent of the total enrollment. The Secretary verifies this information from the data on enrollments (Higher Education General Information Surveys HEGIS XIII) furnished by the institution to the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education.

Science means, for the purposes of this program, the biological, engineering, mathematical, physical, behavorial and social sciences, and the history and philosophy of science; also included are interdisciplinary fields which are comprised of overlapping areas among two or more sciences.

Underrepresented in science and engineering means a minority group whose number of scientists and engineers per 10,000 population of that group is substantially below the comparable figure for scientists and engineers who are white and not of Hispanic origin.