HCBU Federal Grants: What Does This Mean for Faculty and Hiring?

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are highly important when it comes to the field of higher education. In terms of faculty diversity, HBCUs are much more diverse than Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs.)  However, there has been a gap in terms of access to adequate facilities, equipment, and funding compared to PWI’s. In May 2024, The Biden-Harris administration had announced over $900 million in financial support for historically Black colleges and universities with the commitment to continue investing in HBCUs through the rest of 2024.  

With these significant grants, greater academic opportunities will be available to the students attending these educational institutions, but what does this funding mean for hiring and for faculty and staff? Here is what has been done so far and what will continue to help support HBCU staff and faculty in the future. 

• The U.S. Department of Commerce, using the allocated funding, has created The Connecting Minority Communities Program that will help HBCUs gain access to broadband internet, electronic equipment, and funds to hire IT personnel. 
• The Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health has also provided fiscal support, offering career development programs for HBCU faculty in health and sciences related educational fields. 
• The Department of Education has provided nearly $25 million for HBCUs to help transform their research infrastructures, which means providing outside partnerships to help increase future opportunities and funding and onboarding more faculty with research expertise.  
• The U.S. National Science Foundation created the Advancing Research Capacity at HBCUs through Exploration and Innovation (ARC-HBCU) program. This initiative allows for students, faculty, staff, and research administrators to discuss what approaches they would like to see created to address the needs for bettering research capabilities. 

How does this impact the jobs market?  In the September 2024 Jobs Report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics we see a national unemployment rate of 4.1%, and the U.S. economy has added jobs for 45 straight months, the longest streak since 1939. However, not everyone is benefiting equally from this period of economic prosperity.  The jobless rate in September for Blacks was reported as 5.7%, well above the overall average.  Through effective educational programs we can strengthen our labor force, which of course results in a stronger economy.   

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