SC State offers numerous opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to
participate in research in a variety of disciplines.SC State is South Carolina’s only public historically Black land-grant institution
and Research 2-level institution.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University is among 15 Historically Black Colleges and Universities
launching the Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI), a national coalition
designed to accelerate world-class research, expand institutional capacity, and elevate
HBCU leadership in addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
“We are proud that South Carolina State University is part of this national coalition
advancing research and innovation among HBCUs,” said SC State President Alexander
Conyers. “As South Carolina’s only public historically Black land-grant institution
and R2 university, we are continuing to strengthen our research enterprise, expand
opportunities for our students and faculty, and contribute meaningful solutions to
the challenges facing our communities and our nation.”
The organization will elevate the contributions of HBCUs in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary
research, expand policy influence, and accelerate transformative discoveries at scale.
AHRI will do so by increasing research capacity, strengthening institutional infrastructure,
boosting funding opportunities, enhancing faculty recruitment, and expanding student
access to research and career pathways.
Member institutions will also collaborate to increase the number of HBCUs achieving
Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification, which is the highest designation for research
activity.
AHRI is supported by a strategic partnership with the Association of American Universities
(AAU), where its offices will be co-located, and a three-year, $1 million grant from
the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery (H&LS) Initiative. Harvard University’s Office
of the Vice Provost for Research will also provide technical assistance.
“Today is not just an announcement, but a declaration that HBCUs are not only contributors
to research and innovation, but also leaders shaping a new era of discovery, reimagining
both the solutions and the systems that drive research,” said Wayne A. I. Frederick,
M.D., MBA, Howard University interim president, president emeritus, and Charles R.
Drew Professor of Surgery.
Frederick serves as AHRI interim president. David K. Wilson, Ed.D., president of Morgan
State University, serves as board chair, and Tomikia P. LeGrande, Ed.D., president
of Prairie View A&M University, serves as board vice chair.
AHRI’s founding members include Howard University, an R1 institution and the only
HBCU to have achieved that designation, and 13 partner institutions classified as
R2: High Research Activity:
Clark Atlanta University
Delaware State University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Hampton University
Jackson State University
Morgan State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University
South Carolina State University
Southern University
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University
Virginia State University.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is also a member.
Collectively, AHRI institutions account for 50% of competitively awarded federal research
funding among HBCUs and drive solutions in health, science, education, justice reform,
and economic development.
The launch coincides with AHRI’s inaugural research symposium, “Expanding the Research
Mission of HBCUs,” convening higher education leaders, policymakers, and industry
partners to explore strategies to strengthen research infrastructure and expand collective
impact.
“AHRI marks a powerful new chapter in the HBCU research landscape, bringing institutions
that have too often worked in isolation into sustained collaboration with one another
and with the country’s leading research universities,” said Ruth Simmons, Ph.D., senior
adviser to the Harvard University president on engagement with HBCUs and a three-time
college president.
“We are privileged to leverage our expertise in research infrastructure and capacity-building
to help strengthen the foundation for HBCU research excellence and support more institutions
on the path from R2 to R1 status,” said Sara Naomi Bleich, Ph.D., vice provost for
special projects at Harvard.
“The H&LS Initiative’s growing portfolio of partnerships with HBCUs has shown how
transformative these collaborations can be for students and faculty. This new partnership
with AHRI will build on that success and further expand the opportunities and recognition
for premier HBCU research institutions.”
AHRI was established through collaboration among visionary leaders committed to elevating
HBCU research capacity and influence. In addition to Frederick, Simmons, Wilson, and
LeGrande, collaborators included Harold L. Martin Sr., Ph.D., chancellor emeritus
of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. With administrative
and legal support from Howard University, the organization was formally incorporated
on June 14, 2023, and convened its inaugural board meeting on October 18, 2023.
AHRI leaders also issued a call to action for government, corporate, and philanthropic
partners to invest in the future of HBCU research and innovation.
About AHRI
The Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI) is a coalition of leading Historically
Black Colleges and Universities dedicated to advancing research excellence, innovation,
and public impact. In partnership with the Association of American Universities, AHRI
is amplifying the collective voice of HBCU research institutions—elevating their national
presence, strengthening policy influence, and accelerating transformative research
that addresses society’s most pressing challenges at scale.
