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.
Howard University, the historically Black educational institution in Washington, D.C., was awarded a $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support research on how digital manipulation and disinformation on the internet impacts Black communities. The research team will investigate how technology and misinformation on social media is used to misinform members of the Black community.
Historically Black Hampton University in Virginia received a $1,180,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for a research project entitled “Addressing Low-Income Housing Resident Mistrust In COVID-19 Guidance.” The research aims to better understand COVID-19 testing patterns among underserved and vulnerable populations; strengthen the data on disparities in infection rates, disease progression and outcomes; and develop strategies to reduce the disparities in COVID-19 testing. Ethlyn McQueen-Gibson, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, is co-leader of the project.
Five historically Black universities will share $5 million in funding from Dow Inc. for programming, partnership and support to enhance the Black STEM talent pipeline. The funds will be used for scholarships, supporting undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research programs, developing curricula, and teacher support programs at public schools near the participating HBCUs. The five universities receiving funding are Florida A&M University, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, and Southern University.
Historically Black Delaware State University will receive $166,290 over two years as part of a study led by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund funded by the National Collaborative for Gun Violence Research. The study is designed to gain a better understanding of attitudes toward gun ownership, possession and usage by urban youths, the dynamics of social transmission of gun ownership and possession, carrying a gun, using a gun to threaten someone; an also how conflicts escalate to gun violence.
