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.
Tennessee State University received a $1.92 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support the HBCU’s Center for Excellence in Land, Water, and Resource Management. The grant is the sixth round of funding for the center since its inception in 2021. The latest funds will support the center’s research and activities across four key focus areas: forest health, soil health and water quality, farm productivity and smart agriculture, and workforce development in agriculture and natural resources.
Wilberforce University in Ohio secured a $3 million, five-year federal grant through the Title III Strengthening Institutions Program to implement the HBCU’s “Technology and Rural Digital Equity Project.” Among the project’s priorities include new technology and infrastructure improvements in classrooms and the Rembert E. Stokes Library, three new undergraduate data literacy courses, and technology integration training for faculty.
Savannah State University in Georgia received a $346,000 estate gift from alumna Gwen-Dolyn Cutter. A native of Screven County, Georgia, Cutter received her bachelor’s degree from Savannah State in 1968 and went on to pursue a career within state government, where she served until her retirement. Half of Cutter’s gift will support the HBCU’s athletics department, while the other half will support the newly launched John Lewis School of Public Policy and Social Sciences.
Southern University and A&M College received a $1,275,000 grant from the Minority Business Development Agency to establish the Louisiana Innovation for Thriving Rural Business Center. Housed in the HBCU’s College of Business, the center aims to help rural Louisiana business owners grow their organizations by providing hands-on training in business fundamentals and advanced manufacturing.
Lincoln University of Missouri received a $100,000 grant from Ameren Missouri to support the HBCU’s “Strengthening Education Opportunity in Mid-Missouri” initiative. The funds will support student retention and engagement efforts, scholarships and financial assistance for career pathways, and career-readiness opportunities such as internships, mentorship, professional development, and workforce credentialing.
Tuskegee University in Alabama received a $449,999 research grant from the National Science Foundation to expand the HBCU’s research capabilities in cybersecurity. The three-year grant will support research and education focused on integrating artificial intelligence to enhance the security, resilience, and efficiency of cloud-based cyber-physical systems. Although the combination of cloud-based computing and cyber-physical systems leads to more powerful computing and better data processing, it also comes with increased cybersecurity risks. The Tuskegee project will investigate how AI can pre-empt, defend against, and stop these cyberattacks.
Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina was awarded a $630,000 federal grant to bring advanced nanotechnology instrumentation to the HBCU and expand STEM research and training opportunities for students. The funds will go toward the acquisition of a NeaSpec nano-FTIR system, an advanced analytical instrument that combines atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy using scanning near-field optical microscopy. The technology will allow researchers to examine materials’ chemical composition at the atomic and nanometer scale.
Along with partners at the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers at historically Black Albany State University and have received a $1.3 million award from the National Science Foundation to advance manufacturing methods for perovskite semiconductors, a class of materials with potential applications in solar energy, photonics, electronics, and quantum technologies. The funding includes allocations for new thin-film manufacturing and characterization equipment at Albany State, which will support research opportunities for students at both institutions.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff was awarded a two-year, $350,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation to support agricultural research, youth development, and career-readiness initiatives in Southeast Arkansas. With the new funds, Kimberly Haynie, associate professor of nutrition and food science at the HBCU, will work with high school students to increase their awareness of agriculture-related careers, with a particular focus on food and nutrition entrepreneurship. Additionally, the funds will support Sathis Ponniah, professor of plant science, in expanding laboratory staffing and equipment.
West Virginia State University was awarded a $398,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service to assist with preservation efforts on two buildings the HBCU owns in the Malden Village Historic District in Malden, West Virginia: the Hale House and the Norton House. The grant will fund roof repairs, electrical work, and plumbing updates at both buildings.
