How to grow HBCU research programs with partnerships—and why it matters

In an effort to strengthen the U.S. science and technology workforce, a coalition of engineering leaders from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and major research institutions today released a report on how to work together to expand research programs at HBCUs. Read the report

Lola Eniola-Adefeso, dean of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering, co-led the effort.

The recommendations emerged from the HBCU Engineering Deans Summit, a first-of-its-kind gathering earlier this year organized by the HBCU Engineering Deans Council and hosted by the University of Michigan College of Engineering, where Eniola-Adefeso previously served as associate dean for graduate and professional engineering.

The Summit brought together more than 30 leaders from HBCUs, Research 1 (R1) institutions, and several funding agencies to discuss better ways to partner and support boosting HBCUs’ research capacity.

Among the recommendations are: harnessing the breadth of perspectives to develop innovative new research directions that disrupt the status quo; working together on curriculum, teaching and advising to build more time for research at HBCUs where faculty have higher teaching loads; and advocating for more equitable distribution of research funding.

“We’ve come up with real, actionable steps that we believe can benefit everyone,” Eniola-Adefeso said. “They can help address the country’s looming talent shortage in science, technology, engineering and math. They’re responsive to the surges in HBCU enrollment we’re beginning to see since the ban on affirmative action. And they can keep the U.S. at the forefront of innovation.”

R1 institutions produce the lion’s share of university-based research and PhDs in the United States. They also get most of the research funding. At present, none are HBCUs. That’s expected to change next year, with several likely to be added under the latest criteria. Summit participants hope it’s a turning point.

“For the sake of a secure national economy, a strong research workforce, and an innovative scientific enterprise that serves everyone, our HBCUs need dynamic research programs that offer graduate degrees and set students up for leadership roles. We can’t afford to leave talent on the table,” said Joyce T. Shirazi, dean of the School of Engineering, Architecture and Aviation at Hampton University, an HBCU, and co-chair of the Summit.

Despite making up less than 3% of U.S. colleges and universities, HBCUs produce nearly 25% of Black science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) bachelor’s graduates, and provide the undergraduate education for one-third of Black STEM students who go on to earn doctorates. Their outsized impact is expected to grow due to shifting enrollment patterns in the wake of the ban on considering race in admissions and potential impacts of the political landscape.

The recommendations are organized into four steps:

1. Understand: Set a foundation for meaningful collaboration by learning about one another. Spend time at each others’ institutions through short visits, sabbaticals or teaching exchanges, for example.
2. Align: Recognize shared motivations and common goals to build trust and momentum. Identify unique strengths and leverage them from both sides—for example the vast research infrastructure of R1s and the high educational support cultures of HBCUs.
3. Partner: Harness the variety of perspectives to identify new research directions that spark innovation or challenge the status quo. Work together on curriculum, teaching and advising, as well as making the case to HBCU students that careers in research are worthwhile.
4. Sustain: Build bandwidth for the time and care that authentic partnerships require. Advocate for equitable funding—HBCUs comprise 3% of US colleges and universities, yet received just 1.48% of federal science and engineering research funding in 2022. Given the different educational support cultures, ensure support for HBCU students on R1 campuses. Enhance lab infrastructure at HBCUs.

“The report offers a roadmap for navigating collaborations between institutions that, while different in significant ways, are often working toward common goals,” Shirazi said.

The report includes numerous tactics for implementing each recommendation, as well as a section acknowledging differences and biases that participants identified during the Summit. It also acknowledges systemic factors that give more research-intensive universities an advantage—chief among them are the well-staffed research offices that guide faculty through the award process from start to finish.