MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (MSIPP) COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE TRADE OCCUPATION PROGRAM (CJCTOP) | DE FOA 0002898

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002898

The Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) Community and Junior College Trade Occupation Program (CJCTOP) is a Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) grant opportunity designed to strengthen the skilled trades and technician workforce that supports the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE). NNSA is responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, and that mission depends heavily on a steady pipeline of qualified people who can do the hands-on technical and manufacturing work that keeps highly specialized facilities operating. This funding opportunity focuses on building that workforce by investing in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal community and junior colleges that can recruit, train, and place a diverse set of students into in-demand trade and technician roles tied to nuclear security.

At its core, CJCTOP sits within NNSA's larger workforce strategy, which emphasizes partnerships with education and industry across the NSE to build capability and talent. MSIPP (along with the MSIPP Tribal Education Partnership Program, TEPP) aims to create sustainable pipelines into NNSA mission areas by linking institutions with national laboratories and other NSE collaborators. While MSIPP also supports broader education and research pathways, CJCTOP specifically highlights the urgent need for trade and technician talent, recognizing that many critical NSE jobs are not only scientific or engineering roles, but also technical occupations requiring community college level training, certifications, and applied learning in modern industrial environments.

The program encourages eligible community and junior colleges, especially those that are Minority Serving or Tribal institutions, to submit proposals that expand and improve training programs aligned to NSE workforce needs. The intent is both immediate and long-term: meet current hiring demand for traditional and emerging technician positions while also upgrading the educational and training environment at these institutions so they can keep producing job-ready graduates over time. A major theme is diversifying the pipeline, meaning proposals are expected to strengthen recruitment and success for students from minority and underrepresented populations, and in doing so, improve the overall capacity and resilience of the NSE workforce.

Applications are expected to be mission-aligned and practical, with clear, achievable goals that directly build workforce capacity for the Nuclear Security Enterprise. In practice, that can mean developing or modernizing trade curricula, expanding lab and shop capabilities, improving faculty and instructional resources, creating structured pathways to credentials and employment, and building durable partnerships with NSE organizations that can provide input on workforce requirements, experiential learning opportunities, and hiring pipelines. The announcement also emphasizes collaboration and encourages program directors from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups, to work with NSE collaborators as part of building strong, connected programs rather than isolated training efforts.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002898) managed by DOE/NNSA under CFDA 81.123, with activity areas spanning education, employment and training, and energy. Eligible applicants include public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education. The award ceiling is $500,000, and the agency anticipated making about 10 awards under this announcement. The FOA was created December 16, 2022, and originally closed February 17, 2023. Overall, CJCTOP is positioned as a workforce development investment that helps national security by strengthening technician and trade pipelines, while also advancing institutional capacity and diversity in fields that are central to the nation’s nuclear security mission.

• The Department of Energy, NNSA in the education, employment, labor and training, energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (MSIPP) COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE TRADE OCCUPATION PROGRAM (CJCTOP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.123.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 16, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 17, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for DE FOA 0002898

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