SC State awarded over $400,000 to build its capacity to compete for research funds

SC State has been awarded $404,992 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). The funds will support the implementation of technical assistance workshops for faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (HBCUs) so they can be more competitive when seeking federal research and development grants.

The overall goal of the project is to assist HBCUs in developing effective diverse approaches and methods of technical assistance activities to enhance their capacity for increased involvement with the federal government.

The project will provide various methods and activities that institutions should be keenly focused on that will better expose them to the federal government and allow them to remain engaged, so they can identify resources and benefit from them.

“This project gives SC State University the ability to serve as an important resource for other HBCUs looking to tap federal dollars that can be used to develop strong research and educational-based academic capacities and infrastructures,” said Elbert R. Malone, associate provost of Sponsored Programs and Research at SC State and the principal investigator for the project.

“Often times, HBCUs have the need and the desire to seek out competitive grants to fund their programs or specific activities, but don’t always have the capability or infrastructure to identify and secure research and development dollars. The technical assistance workshops are designed to give them the tools and support they need in order to apply for and receive such awards,” Malone continued.

The specific activities of the project will include: the development and implementation of two regional technical assistance workshops, hosting two research exchange conferences with at least two national federal laboratories and designing and implementing a week-long training institute for 20 HBCU faculty members on how to prepare federal grant proposals.

Additionally, the grant will defray the expenses of at least two people from 10 HBCUs to attend the annual Technical Assistance Workshop of the National Sponsored Program Administrator Alliance of HBCUs.

“This grant helps to support our institution’s commitment to build critical collaborations that will strengthen and empower not only SC State, but will strengthen and empower other institutions,” said SC State provost, Dr. Learie Luke.

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities served as the catalyst to creating the black middle class in America and will continue to be the incubator for minority business talent, innovation and leadership. These important schools generate billions in economic impact annually and are engines for job creation in their local economies across the United States,” said MBDA National Director Henry Childs II.

“These grant awards will provide seed money for these institutions to pursue innovative projects and to build more revenue-generating infrastructures to better serve our nation’s future entrepreneurs and workforce,” he continued.