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.
Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, will receive $556,000 in federal funding to enhance campus security. The funding — which is part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill — will help the HBCU install new motorized entrance gates, security cameras at residence hall entrances, and proximity locks for classrooms and offices.
A team of scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have received funding from the National Institutes of Health to extend the Mom Genes study, an initiative that aims to understand the deeper causes of postpartum depression, particularly among Black and Latina mothers — women who have been historically underrepresented in medical research. Participants in the study complete an anonymous survey regarding their postpartum experiences. Some participants are also provided with an at-home blood sample kit, which is then returned to the research team to investigate the genetic variants that may contribute to postpartum symptoms.
Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, received a $75,000 gift from the Patterson Family Foundation to fund students scholarships during the 2026–2027 academic year. The donation will provide 10 scholarships of $7,500 each to students at the HBCU. This renewed investment follows the Patterson Family Foundation’s inaugural scholarship cohort for the 2025–2026 school year, which supported students from a wide-range of humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines.
The Albany State University Foundation received a $62,549 anonymous gift through the U.S. Charitable Gift Trust. The donation is unrestricted and can be used to support the Georgia-based HBCU’s immediate priorities. Albany State leaders plan to direct the new funds toward the ASU GAP Scholarship, which is awarded each semester to students who need additional financial support to remain enrolled.
