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.
Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, was awarded a $200,000 grant from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Department to strengthen the HBCU’s security infrastructure. The funds will expand the college’s existing security measures in residences halls and common areas through the installation of new security cameras, electronic gates, and fencing.
The School of Education at historically Black Howard University in Washington, D.C., has received a $747,000 grant from the Bezos Family Foundation to expand the school’s research capabilities. The grant will support three key initiatives, including a program for distributing small grant awards for faculty projects, the development of a Digital Research Lab to train graduate students on research methodologies and research tools, and new pathways for faculty to compete for larger, more competitive funding opportunities.
Alcorn State University in Mississippi and Texas Southern University are among six universities that have recently joined the Gulf Scholars Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Funded through a five-year, $12.7 million pilot program, the interdisciplinary initiative will prepare undergraduate students at the two HBCUs and other participating institutions to address pressing sustainability challenges in the Gulf Coast region. Participating students will receive stipends, mentorship, and opportunities to present their research at regional, national, and international conferences.
The F. D. Bluford Library at historically Black North Carolina A&T State University recently received two grants to expand data analysis, cyberinfrastructure, and artificial intelligence literacy. The first grant, a $160,902 award from the Minority Serving Cyberinfrastructure Consortium, will fund several initiatives, including the launch of the Aggie Data Lab and the development of a replicable model for cyberinstrastruce support at other HBCUs. The second grant, a $115,557 award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will focus on training librarians and students on AI tools, developing an AI Toolkit tailored for HBCU libraries, and launching the AI Catalyst Institute – a national community for librarians exploring AI applications.
Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee received a $1 million donation from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support the historically Black medical school’s “Advanced Reality for Health Equity and Education” initiative. The project will integrate augmented and virtual reality technologies and other advanced innovations into dental education, community partnerships, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
