The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the Biden-Harris administration’s $93 Million in grants to support “research development” measures at HBCUs, TCCUs and MSIs, and Postsecondary Completion.
The grants, which will be provided under the Research and Development Infrastructure (RDI) and Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) programs, are expected to improve completion rates for underserved students.
“The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the urgency of this moment in higher education and that creating opportunities for students of color and other underserved students to succeed in today’s most cutting-edge fields has never mattered more,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
“These grant awards will help many of our nation’s most inclusive and diverse colleges and universities expand their capacity to drive research and innovation, and propel more students to graduation day and fulfilling careers. This is how we Raise the Bar for college excellence and attainment in this country and close equity gaps in higher education that have no place in the 21st century.”
More than $20 million in grants will be awarded to five HBCUs, and will support institutions in increasing their level of research activity to move from the Doctoral and Professional Universities (D/PU) classification toward the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) classification. It will also increase their classification from the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) toward the Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity (R1) category.
The grant program recipients are:
- Hampton University (Virginia) ($4,962,986): to progress and support establishment of an Interdisciplinary Climate Science Degree Program embedded in a National Center for Climate Modeling Research.
- Southern University and A&M College (Louisiana) ($4,999,999): to progress and support establishing multidisciplinary research centers focused on advanced manufacturing and biological sciences and executing ambitious faculty hiring and development efforts.
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Maryland) ($4,680,568): to progress and support the Futures Institute, which will recruit Ph.D. students, assistant professors, a proficient grant writer, and world-leading scientists to serve as research mentors for faculty and students
- Texas Southern University (Texas) ($4,996,543): to progress and support increased research, expansion of graduate programs, recruiting, and establishing academic and industrial partnerships
- Tennessee State University (Tennessee) ($4,946,573): to progress and support establishment of the Center of Biomedical Sciences to strengthen biomedical and behavioral research capacity and capabilities.
The new grant funding presents a vital resource for underserved, minority students and the HBCUs that play a central role in educating them. This initiative demonstrates the importance for HBCUs to excel in research that can positively impact funding, recruitment, and promote more diversity in grant funding worldwide.
For more information on the Biden-Harris grant program and recipients, please visit The Department of Education.
