The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency signed a memorandum of understanding with the Council of 1890 Universities to strengthen member institutions over the next five years. The 1890 universities are a group of 18 historically Black land-grant institutions established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. The Council of 1890 
Universities is a division of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. The Council is chaired by Gilbert Rochon, president of Tuskegee University in Alabama.
Under the agreement, the USDA and the EPA will provide internships, training, technical assistance, faculty exchange opportunities, and mentoring to member universities.
