Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Historically Black North Carolina Central University received a a four-year, $400,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to launch an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Research Clinic & Lab. The funding will support fellowships for 100 undergraduate students and 12 faculty members across different disciplines at NCCU. Student fellows will engage in important research focused on improving entrepreneurial and economic equity. The project is under the direction of Henry McKoy, director of entrepreneurship at the university’s School of Business.
Elizabeth City State University, a historically Black educational institution in North Carolina, received a $100,000 grant from the Truist Financial Corporation Charitable Fund. The funds will be used to purchase computers and to create hotspots for students in the event the campus goes fully remote due to COVID-19.
The National Institute of Health has awarded historically Black Delaware State University a four-year, $1.46 million grant that will fund an innovative program to increase the persistence success of new freshmen enrolled in the biomedical-related degree programs. The grant will fund the creation of the Parent University Program, which will engage the parents of the students through strategically executed broadcasts and messaging, and thereby enable the parents to encourage their enrolled sons and daughters toward academic success more effectively.
Howard University, the historically Black educational institution in Washington, D.C., received a $2.5 million gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support aspiring journalism students. The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Opportunity Scholarship Program will support journalism majors with demonstrated financial need (with priority given to juniors and seniors). The Craig Newmark Journalism Endowed Student Experience Fund will enable the kinds of professional development opportunities that are vital to students to get jobs after college and to advance in their careers.
The University of California, San Diego received a $500,000 grant from the Office of the President of the University of California System to hire a group of 10 to 12 faculty members who will focus on “racial/ethnic disparities in STEM fields with a significant focus on the Black diaspora and African American communities.”
Martin University, a predominantly Black educational institution in Indianapolis, received a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The money will be sued to to launch the university’s new Work College model, called Martin WORKS, help fund its Center for Racial Equity and Inclusion, and be applied toward several university technology and operational upgrades.
Historically Black Virginia State University received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to help socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in Virginia. The project is targeting 70 Virginia counties where disadvantaged farmers and ranchers have traditionally been underserved because of barriers like high startup costs, limited access to credit, lack of knowledge on land acquisition and transition, lack of skills in financial planning, lack of production skills and limited access to existing markets.
Voorhees College, a historically Black eductional institution in Denmark, South Carolina, received a five-year, $6,047,542 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support innovative teacher preparation models that prepare prospective and new teachers to serve students in high-need schools. V-Net: Voorhees Network for Enhanced Teaching will create, implement, and expand an alternative, non-traditional preparation and teacher certification residency program.
Historically Black Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, received a $200,000 grant from the Windgate Foundation to transform six classroom spaces into virtual learning centers that will allow profesors to teach to students in the classroom and students online at the same time.
