In March 2026, Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Katie Britt (R-AL) convened over 30 HBCU presidents to introduce a bipartisan bill aimed at streamlining federal funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The HBCU Research Capacity Act proposes a federally coordinated website that consolidates information on STEM research and development funding opportunities available to HBCUs.
The legislation would amend Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, directing the Secretary of Education to work with federal agencies to create a centralized website listing these grants and sharing best practices for building research capacity.
The bill also requires the Secretary to assign personnel to manage the clearinghouse, notify HBCUs and Congress of its availability, and provide regular reports to both.
In 2023, Senator Warnock introduced the Increase America’s Research Capacity Act, which called for studies on how HBCUs can achieve Research One (R1) status.
Following this, Howard University achieved R1 Carnegie Classification, the highest research designation for U.S. institutions.
Senator Warnock also secured additional funding for HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to support federal STEM grant applications through the CHIPS and Science Act.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) commended Senators Warnock and Britt for introducing the HBCU Research Capacity Act, noting that a federal clearinghouse would improve access to research funding and help remove longstanding barriers.
However, the UNCF emphasized that further efforts are needed to ensure all HBCUs, including those unlikely to achieve R1 status but vital to the ecosystem, are fully included in research capacity-building. Passing this bill is essential, but it should be viewed as a starting point for modernizing HBCU research capacity.