A student conducts research at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, February 27, 2023. Getty/Naville J. Oubre III
Historically Black colleges and universities received just 0.91% of federal research and development funding in fiscal year 2023, despite representing 3.2% of all four-year degree-granting institutions in the United States, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The analysis, released Wednesday, found that HBCUs have consistently received less than 1% of federal R&D expenditures since 2018, with their share averaging just 0.87% over that period. The last time HBCUs received more than 1% of federal R&D funding was in 2017.
"For 188 years, our nation's historically Black colleges and universities have been centers of academic excellence and innovation," said TMCF President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams. "There is a unique opportunity to expand the capacity and financial strength at HBCUs while also strengthening the overall research capacity of our nation."
The findings come as the Trump administration has frozen or terminated thousands of federal grants deemed related to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, affecting an estimated $3.3 billion to $3.7 billion in funding to universities nationwide. Several HBCU programs have been impacted, including initiatives in semiconductor workforce development, STEM degree completion, and biomedical research.
The report highlighted particularly low funding rates from the two largest federal R&D funders. The Department of Health and Human Services, which accounts for 55.5% of federal R&D funding, awarded only 0.54% of its funds to HBCUs in 2023. The Department of Defense, responsible for 15.2% of federal R&D spending, allocated just 0.40% to HBCUs.
Dr. Harry L. Williams
