Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) punch far above their weight.
HBCUs enroll just 9 to 10 percent of Black undergraduates. They produce roughly 20 to 25 percent of all Black STEM graduates. Despite that impact, they receive less than 1 percent of the nation’s $60 billion in federal research funding. Lawmakers now aim to close that gap through new legislation.
Sens. Raphael Warnock ’91 (D-Ga.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the HBCU Research Capacity Act. The bipartisan bill would create a centralized federal clearinghouse. The system would help HBCUs identify and apply for research grants.
Expanding access to research funding
“I introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Katie Britt of Alabama to establish a federal website that consolidates funding opportunities for our Historically Black Colleges and Universities—projects related to research and development and building their capacity to do research,” Warnock said during a press conference with HBCU student journalists.
Warnock said the bill focuses on making federal funding more accessible.
“What my bill does is streamline the process and put information at their fingertips that may be harder to find than you think,” he said. “Individual schools can better coordinate, plan and implement their strategy for winning research dollars.”
The legislation requires the Secretary of Education to assign personnel to manage the clearinghouse. It also requires officials to notify HBCUs and Congress when it launches. The department would provide regular updates and reports on available funding opportunities.
The bill has drawn support from the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.
Warnock called the legislation a step forward but said more progress is needed.
“There is a lot more work to be done,” Warnock said. “We do this not out of any sense of charity. We do it because it’s the smart thing to do. If America is going to maintain its competitive edge, we need all of our people.”
Impact on students
HBCUs continue to face barriers to federal research funding. These include smaller endowments and limited access to centralized grant information. Many larger institutions have more resources and infrastructure.
For students at HBCUs, the funding gap directly shapes access to research opportunities.
MaKyra Wilson, a junior biology major on the pre-MD/Ph.D. track at Spelman College, said she believes the legislation could make a meaningful difference. She said it also inspires her. Wilson participated in the Amgen Scholars Program and built her foundation in biomedical research there. She said her path required significant personal initiative.
“Increasing grants and achieving R1 status for more HBCUs would help students in three critical ways,” Wilson said. She cited talent retention, mentorship continuity and cultural congruence.
“There is a unique power in conducting groundbreaking science within the supportive, mission-driven environment of an HBCU,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to choose between elite research facilities and the community that best supports our identity.”
Wilson said Spelman fosters a culture of excellence and promotes external opportunities. Still, she said gaps remain in access.
“There is a distinct difference between being informed and being equipped,” she said. “My own journey in securing placement at top research labs was largely fueled by my own initiative and the exhaustive search for high-level research environments.”
If HBCUs remain underfunded in research, Wilson said the nation’s “innovation gap” will continue to widen. That gap could limit the potential of institutions that already produce a disproportionate share of Black STEM graduates.
For students like Wilson, the legislation represents more than policy. It signals whether HBCUs will have the resources to match the impact they already make.
