Using Partnerships to Expand Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research and Program Capabilities: A UIDP Workshop

Award ID: 2612380

This project will expand the research and programmatic capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by strengthening sustained partnerships with industry, government, nonprofit, and academic organizations. Although HBCUs are vital contributors to the nations science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce and research enterprise, many face structural and resource constraints that limit participation in large-scale, cross-sector collaborations. Strategic partnerships are essential to increasing research competitiveness, advancing workforce development, and accelerating innovation. HBCU Engage 2026 will convene research leaders, faculty, corporate partners, federal agency representatives, and nonprofit organizations for a two-day forum focused on practical strategies to build long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations. The event will emphasize partnership development, research administration, contracting, government engagement, and STEM workforce pathways. HBCU attendee travel support will ensure participation from a broad cross-section of HBCU institutions, including those with limited discretionary resources. By equipping institutional leaders with actionable tools, expanding access to funding agencies and industry collaborators, and strengthening translational research ecosystems, this project will promote the progress of science and advance national health, prosperity, and welfare. Outcomes will include enhanced institutional capacity, expanded research partnerships, and dissemination of best practices through a publicly available report and national outreach. The project will provide participant support for HBCU Engage 2026, a structured, capacity-building workshop held March 2526, 2026, in Cary, North Carolina. The forum will convene HBCU representatives alongside cross-sector partners to address four primary domains: contracting; partnership management and research administration; STEM workforce development and student engagement; and government engagement and economic development. The program will include concurrent breakout sessions, structured networking, facilitated table-topic discussions, and one-on-one office hours with federal agency and partner representatives. Sessions will emphasize replicable models for corporate engagement, multi-institutional consortia development, faculty-industry collaboration, intellectual property management, and leveraging innovation ecosystems. HBCU representatives will serve as speakers and panelists to ensure peer-informed dialogue and practical applicability. Attendee support will reduce financial barriers to participation and ensure attendees represent a range of geographies and institutions. The project will culminate in a publicly disseminated synthesis report documenting lessons learned, partnership models, and recommended practices to strengthen translational research ecosystems. Through structured convening, targeted training, and facilitated cross-sector engagement, the project will advance understanding of effective partnership models and contribute to scalable approaches for expanding research capacity at HBCUs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Sharon Bird