The Naval Opportunity Awareness Workshop (OAW) is the Department of Navy’s (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program’s premier event for outreach and engagement of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)1. This year, in light of the global health crisis, the OAW will be held on a virtual meeting platform on June 15-16, 2021.
The purpose of the OAW is to provide MSIs with first-hand information about opportunities available for faculty and students at the Naval Research Lab, Naval Warfare Centers, and across the Naval Research Enterprise (NRE). At its core, the OAW provides a firm platform for productive exchanges and recruitment for Naval faculty fellowships and student internships. A major objective of the OAW is to increase the number of HBCU/MI faculty and students participating in DoN professional enrichment programs and to maximize the competitiveness of white papers and proposals submitted by MSIs.
Major highlights for the OAW include:
* Two-day agenda focused on Science and Technology (S&T) funding opportunities, student internships, and the Navy and Marine Corps’ research interests.
* Opening remarks by Rear Admiral Lorin Selby, Chief of Naval Research and Dr. Bruce Danly, Director of Research of the Naval Research Laboratory.
* Panels featuring DoD and DoN S&T Senior Executives, Chief Technology Officers, Program Managers, Scientists, and Engineers.
* Discussions with Program Officers and Principal Investigators on proposal submission and best practices.
* Q&A opportunities that enable attendee engagement in a virtual environment.