NASA SMD Bridge Program Workshop

Purpose and Scope

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is committed to a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility where all employees feel welcome, valued, respected, and engaged. The SMD Bridge Program is a new initiative that aims to increase engagement and partnering between NASA centers and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), and PhD-granting Universities, with a focus on paid research and engineering student positions at participating institutions. One goal of the SMD Bridge Program is to increase opportunities for student participants to transition from undergraduate studies into graduate schools and/or employment at NASA.

The purpose of the workshop is to bring all stakeholders in the NASA SMD Bridge Program together to build on the framework established by the Bridge Program Workshop Organizing Committee (BPWOC) and collaboratively co-create a program that increases the diversity of the NASA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. More details on the workshop goals can be found here:  https://science.nasa.gov/smd-bridge-program/workshop-organizing-committee-faq