FY 2023 Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges or Universities (TCCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program (RDI)
The Historically Black Colleges or Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program (RDI) will provide $50 million to HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.
For HBCUs and MSIs, the grant will support institutions in increasing their level of research activity in alignment with the Carnegie Classification designations to move from the Doctoral and Professional Universities (D/PU) classification toward the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) classification, or from the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) classification towards the Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity (R1) classification.
For TCCUs, which have their own Carnegie Classification designation and cannot be classified as R1, R2, or D/PU, the funds will support an increase in research activities, undergraduate research opportunities, faculty development, research development, and infrastructure, including physical infrastructure and human capital development.
RDI Grant Synopsis
Assistance Listing Number: 84.116H
Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-080223-001 (Grants.gov)
Deadline: October 2, 2023, at 11:59:59PM Eastern Time
Estimate Available Funds: $49,500,000
- Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: Contingent upon the number and quality of applications received under each absolute priority.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Contingent upon the number and quality of applications received under each absolute priority.
Maximum Award:
- Applicants under Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 3: $5,000,000 for a 48-month project period.
- Applicants under Absolute Priority 2: $2,000,000 for a 48-month project period.
Project Period: Up to 48 months
Priorities:
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2023 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet one of these priorities and the requirements included in this notice. A lead applicant can only apply under one absolute priority.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1—Funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Research and Development Infrastructure.
- Applications will be accepted for this absolute priority from HBCUs, as defined in this notice, that propose to support high-quality implementation of transformative research capacity initiatives and that seek to attain higher research activity status, as measured by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, to either move from R2 to R1 status or from D/PU to R2 status. HBCUs that currently have an R1 Carnegie Classification are ineligible to apply as the lead applicant in this competition but are eligible to participate as part of a consortium.
Absolute Priority 2—Funding for Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities’ Research and Development Infrastructure.
- Applications will be accepted for this absolute priority from TCCUs, as defined in this notice, that propose to improve their research and development activities, including infrastructure, faculty development, and academic programs.
Absolute Priority 3—Funding for Minority-Serving Institutions’ Research and Development Infrastructure.
- Applications will be accepted for this absolute priority from MSIs, as defined in this notice, that propose to support high-quality implementation of transformative research capacity initiatives at institutions designated as at least one type of MSI (AANAPISI, ANNH, HSI, NASNTI, and/or PBI) and that seek to attain higher research activity status according to the Carnegie Classifications, to either move from R2 to R1 status or from D/PU to R2 status. Institutions that currently have an R1 Carnegie Classification are ineligible to apply as the lead applicant but are eligible to participate as part of a consortium.
Competitive Preference Priority–MSI Pell Grant Percentage (0 or 2 points).
- Lead applicants whose Pell Grant recipients account for 50 percent or higher of their undergraduate student enrollment, as measured by the Department using the most recent data available in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), will be awarded 2 additional points.
Eligible Applicants:
- Eligible applicants are four-year institutions of higher education (as defined in this notice) that are HBCUs (as defined in this notice), TCCUs (as defined in this notice), and MSIs (as defined in this notice). Eligible applicants may apply individually or as lead applicants of a consortium with other eligible applicants and/or other partners such as an institution of higher education with an R1 Carnegie Classification, community colleges, or non-profit, industry and philanthropic partners. The lead applicant must be an eligible applicant under the absolute priority under which it is applying.
Information Contact: Jason Cottrell, Jason.Cottrell@ed.gov, 202-453-7530