1890 Universities Welcome New Federal Funding For Centers of Excellence
Three HBCUs Receive Nearly $5 Million in Funding Resulting from Bipartisan Effort in Congress
an 1890 Foundation feature
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently announced a $4.8 million investment in three 1890 Land Grant University (LGUs) Centers of Excellence (COEs). This is the result of an appropriation authorized by Congress in Fiscal Year 2019, and part of a larger bipartisan Congressional effort to provide additional investments in America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The 1890 LGU community represents a significant part of that HBCU community and legacy.
“We are extremely pleased by this development,” said Dr. Mortimer Neufville, President and CEO of The 1890 Universities Foundation. “The three 1890 LGU Centers of Excellence were originally established in 2015, in conjunction with the 125th anniversary celebration of the passage of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, but they were not accompanied by any dedicated funding or provided an appropriate level of sustainable investment. That’s been resolved.” Dr. Mortimer Neufville, President and CEO of The 1890 Universities Foundation, issued the below statement.
A number of Members in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate found common ground on the issue and originally created the 1890 LGU COEs in the 2018 Farm Bill at an authorized funding level of $10 million per year for five years. Those Members included House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Sanford Bishop (D-GA), as well as Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC), Michael Conaway (R-TX), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), and Collin Peterson (D-MN). Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) worked on companion efforts in the Senate, along with a number of other key legislators from across the nation.
The 2019 appropriations process allocated $5 million for the 1890 COEs and preceded the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill. Through a competitive selection process, the USDA’s NIFA received applications and made awards of $1.6 million each to three Universities for implementation of the Centers created in 2015. Once again, this falls short of the authorized level of funding.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore received an award to establish an 1890 Center of Excellence for International Engagement and Development (CEIED). This Center will fund and support academic, research and extended integration projects and activities designed to satisfy the nation’s needs for a globally smart workforce. It will also support critical global development needs and address transboundary research and education challenges of interest to the United States.
Tuskegee University was awarded an 1890 Center for Integrated and Sustainable Small Farms, Ranches, and Landowners (CISFRL). This Center will fund integrated research and Extension projects in five areas, including: 1) Farm Commodity, Process and Systems; 2) Ranch Commodity Processes and Systems; 3) Promoting Sustainable Forestry Practices for small and underserved landowners; 4) Value added Systems and Technology; and(5) Integrated Social, Economic and Environmental Impact to support SFRLs.
North Carolina A&T State University received funding for an 1890 Virtual Center to Motivate and Educate for Achievement. This Center will create First Generation to College Workforce Pipeline Centers, STEAM Academies and identify best practices to enhance academic achievement and success in the Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Recent FY 2020 funding was increased to $6 million to expand and merge the three COEs into the six Centers authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. These COEs will enhance the 1890 University competitiveness as they create educational opportunities for first-generation college students. This also increases our participation in basic and applied sciences research and develop and execute extension programs serving marginalized communities and farmers.
“The Foundation and the entire 1890 community truly appreciate the tireless efforts of policymakers in the House and Senate who continue to assist us in establishing these COEs,” Dr. Neufville added. “We look forward to working with them to achieve even greater success for both the communities and country we all serve.”
A link to the USDA NIFA announcement can be found here.
###
About the 1890 Universities Foundation
Established in December 2016, the 1890 Universities Foundation supports the core missions of teaching, research and extension across the nineteen 1890 land grant universities in the United States. It is organized and operated exclusively as a 501(c)3 charitable and educational organization. The 1890 Universities Foundation mobilizes and manages resources to facilitate broad-based programs, initiatives, and approaches across the 1890 universities system. We provide a mechanism for the universities to respond to new and emerging issues and challenges in the 21st century. As we foster critical collaborative projects across the 1890 universities, our objective is to discover practical and meaningful solutions to the compelling economic, social and environmental challenges faced by our communities today.