Four HBCUs Receive National Science Foundation Grants to Expand Their Research Ecosystems

The National Science Foundation has recently awarded Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) grants to 48 higher education institutions across the United States. The grant program aims to help colleges and universities expand their innovation capacities through building partnerships, securing external funding, and tapping into their regional innovation ecosystems. This year’s cohort of EPIIC awardees includes four historically Black colleges and universities. Hampton University in Virginia has received a $400,000 grant to establish an innovative partnership with Georgia Piedmont Technical College, aiming to enhance the research capabilities of both institutions. The funding will support the development of three collaborative symposiums, as well as a toolkit for other HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to use as a guideline when formalizing institutional partnerships. Tuskegee University in Alabama, in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College, Youngstown State University, Madison Area Technical College, and Owens State Community College, has received a $394,791 grant program to create partnerships, develop capacity, and secure future funding to support ongoing efforts in emerging technology fields and regional innovation ecosystems across all five institutions. Tuskegee University will lead the project to establish the Center for the Future of Work, which will study contemporary challenges facing employers. The University of Arkansas...