http://mississippiresearchconsortium.org

The Mississippi Research Consortium (MRC) was originally formed in 1986 to enter into a cooperative agreement with NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center to provide technical assistance to the agencies and contractors at the Center.

The MRC recognized that it is important for Mississippi's universities to collaborate and capitalize on each other's assets and strengths. Over the past 17 years, the universities have provided nearly 16 million dollars in research and technical assistance through the NASA Cooperative Agreement.

This collaboration set the groundwork for numerous other projects that have strengthened Mississippi's research infrastructure, including:

• EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research);
• Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation;
• NASA Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.

MRC Roles

• Develops a research infrastructure to support education and extend technology development in Mississippi.
• Fosters research funding opportunities and increases interaction with federal agencies.
• Develops and shares resources.
• Improves science education opportunities for students elementary through college.
• Makes the most of human potential and provides technical assistance.
• Enhances economic opportunities for the State of Mississippi.

MRC Universities

• Jackson State University
• Mississippi State University
• The University of Mississippi
• The University of Southern Mississippi

Mississippi Education and Research Group

The Mississippi Research Consortium was instrumental in the formation of the Mississippi Education and Research Group (MERG). MERG, a formal alliance of the eight state universities, seeks ways for the state’s institutions of higher learning to work together more effectively to support research and education activities to benefit Mississippi and the nation. The statewide alliance provides the mechanism for a greater exchange of ideas and sharing of human and physical resources.