Black In Neuro (BIN), a global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing academic opportunities in neuroscience for Black scholars and professionals, has announced an upcoming initiative to advance neuroscience education at historically Black colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Due to their historic underfunding, many HBCUs are unable to offer a degree program in neuroscience – a field that requires expensive equipment and specialized facilities. Currently, only two HBCUs offer degrees in neuroscience; Xavier University of Louisiana offers a bachelor’s degree program and Delaware State University offers a Ph.D. program.
The new BIN initiative, “Movement for Institutional Neuroscience Development and Scholarship (HBCU-MINDS) Network,” aims to dismantle persistent barriers to neuroscience education by helping HBCUs build the research infrastructure the discipline requires. Scholars at BIN will collaborate with HBCU leaders to secure laboratory space, develop joint curricula, share course modules, host guest lecturers, and expand access to online resources. HBCU faculty will also benefit from grant-writing workshops and mentorship opportunities with experienced neuroscientists.
“The HBCU-MINDS Network aims to support the next generation of researchers to ensure they won’t have to rely on their individual grit alone to succeed,” writes Jheannelle Johnson, development director for BIN and a computational neuroscientist at Stanford University. “Instead, they will benefit from a supportive community cultivated with their success in mind. By investing in neuroscience research at HBCUs, Black In Neuro wants to ensure that Black neuroscientists will always have a seat at the table as leaders, innovators, and game changers in the field.”
