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Modesto Junior College Wins $400K NSF Grant to Boost Biomanufacturing Research and Workforce Pipelines

01:55 PM, 11/29/2025
Modesto Junior College Wins $400K NSF Grant to Boost Biomanufacturing Research and Workforce Pipelines

Modesto Junior College received a $400,000 NSF EPIIC grant to partner with Louisiana State University Eunice and SUNY Cobleskill on A‑SPARK, a project to strengthen research capacity and workforce pathways. The funding will largely support MJC’s School of Science, Engineering & Math and School of Agriculture and aims to align campus programs with biomanufacturing and the circular bioeconomy. College officials say the grant will expand student research, faculty development and industry collaboration across the North San Joaquin Valley.

Modesto Junior College has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation (EPIIC) program to support a collaborative research initiative with Louisiana State University Eunice and the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill.

The three colleges will carry out A-SPARK (Agriculture and Science Practice and Access for Research-Driven Knowledge), a project designed to expand research capacity at two-year institutions and create stronger links between education and industry in biomanufacturing and the broader bioeconomy.

The funding will primarily support MJC’s School of Science, Engineering & Math and its School of Agriculture, enabling new applied-research projects, curricular enhancements, laboratory upgrades, and hands-on training opportunities for students.

Key objectives include building research infrastructure, broadening partnerships to strengthen workforce pipelines, aligning campus programs with regional biomanufacturing priorities, and cultivating applied research that benefits local employers.

“This investment positions MJC as a key contributor to the growing circular bioeconomy ecosystem throughout the North San Joaquin Valley,” the college said in a press release.
“This will create opportunities for students and faculty, within education, professional development, applied research, and industry collaboration and workforce opportunities with regional employers.”

The grant is part of NSF’s EPIIC initiative to help minority-serving, two-year colleges develop as emerging research institutions. College leaders say A-SPARK will expand student research experiences, enhance faculty development, and strengthen regional workforce pathways tied to biomanufacturing and the bioeconomy.

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