Modesto Junior College has been awarded $400,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation (EPIIC) grant program. The NSF EPIIC program is designed to strengthen the ability of two-year colleges, minority-serving institutions, and emerging research institutions to participate in the national innovation ecosystem.

MJC’s award is part of a multi-institutional collaborative proposal titled A-SPARK: Agriculture and Science Practice and Access for Research-Driven Knowledge. The collaborative included Louisiana State University Eunice, and the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill.

Led by Principal Investigator Dr. Laura Weiss Maki, with faculty Co-Principal Investigators Jennifer Richmond, Dr. Erynn Lucas, Elizabeth McInnes, and Rebecca Mendoza, the initiative will support transformative work within MJC’s School of Science, Engineering & Math and School of Agriculture.

Through this project, MJC will:

Build research capacity by providing faculty with professional development and seed funding to launch new research projects.

Expand partnerships with local industry to strengthen the region’s workforce development pipeline.

Align community partnerships, employer engagement, and faculty research with emerging bio-manufacturing and bi-economy innovation efforts across the region.

This investment positions MJC as a key contributor to the growing Circular Bioeconomy ecosystem throughout the North San Joaquin Valley. This will create opportunities for students and faculty, within education, professional development, applies research, and industry collaboration and workforce opportunities with regional employers.

Modesto Junor College has served Modesto and surrounding areas since 1921. Its mission is to empower students to discover opportunities and reach their goals through access to and inclusion in higher education.