Program objective

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) provides major economic and energy benefits on a national and local level to the taxpayers, states, and the Native Alaskan/Native American communities. The BOEM oversees the exploration and development of oil, natural gas and other minerals and renewable energy alternatives on the Nation's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BOEM continues to look for better ways to serve the American people and to ensure that the Nation receives the best value for its resources now and into the future. The program not only supports decisions made within the Department of the Interior, but also provides coastal states and local governments with the information necessary to ensure that all stages of offshore energy and mineral activities are conducted in a manner to protect both the human and natural environments. Through this cooperative agreement, training and learning opportunities will be provided to young people in order to develop the next generation of lifelong conservation stewards and protect, restore, and enhance America’s Great Outdoors. Specifically, this cooperative agreement will give students the opportunity to learn about the importance of the BOEM mission to manage the development of US Outer Continental Shelf energy and mineral resources in an environmentally, economically, and social conscious way while exploring future career options with BOEM. Assignments will be designed to provide orientation and experience in the practical application of the theories, concepts and principles of petroleum engineering, geology, geophysics, and/or environmental science. The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) is designated as tax exempt under the IRS for Institutions of Higher Education. ANSEP moves Native American and Alaskan Native students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics degree programs, and fosters a stronger Indigenous American representation within the science workforce of BOEM. Established in 1995, ANSEP has evolved into a longitudinal education model that provides a continuous string of components beginning with students in sixth grade and continuing through high school, into science and engineering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through PhD. ANSEP has received numerous recognitions for successfully preparing students for professional science and engineering careers including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Minorities in Energy Initiative, the U.S. Department of the Interior Partners in Conservation Award, and the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard University-Top 25 Innovations in Government. ANSEP, through this cooperative agreement, provides an opportunity to further engage Alaska’s Native professionals, and develop the future scientific and engineering employment pool required to support the BOEM mission. The overall objective is to expand the professional science employment preparedness of ANSEP students and to develop a more diversified pool of highly educated professionals with the BOEM workforce to reflect the rich diversity of the Nation.