Science Resources Studies Division

DATA BRIEF Directorate for

Social, Behavioral

and Economic

Sciences

National Science Foundation Vol. 1995, No. 2, February 10, 1995

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Expenditures on S&E Research Facilities

At Historically Black Colleges and

Universities Continue To Decline [Millions of 1993 dollars]

 by Abiola C.

Davis

In contrast to the

situation at HBCUs,

funding of

construction and

repair/renovation of

research facilities at

all universities and

colleges was 8

percent higher in FY

1992-93 than in FY

1986-87.

T

he majority of the 105 Historically

Black Colleges and Universities

(HBCUs) were built in the late 1800s

making higher education available to blacks.

Since that time, the HBCUs have played a

pivotal role in awarding degrees to black

students. Twenty-seven percent of the

science and engineering (S&E) baccalaureate degrees earned by blacks in 1990 were

awarded at HBCUs. Only 13 HBCUs

awarded degrees in engineering, yet they

produced one-fourth of the baccalaureate

degrees awarded to blacks in engineering.

In 1991, 25 HBCUs offered graduate S&E

programs and 14 percent of all black graduate students were enrolled in these programs.

In linguistics and botany the HBCUs accounted for more than half of all black

graduate students enrolled (68 percent and

55 percent). Over the past century and a

half, despite the important role the HBCUs

have in training minority scientists and

engineers, only a limited amount of funds

have been invested in construction or repair/

renovation of research facilities at these

institutions. More than most buildings on

campus, research facilities need to be

frequently updated to be competitive and to

meet changing State and Federal regulations.

Funding for Construction Projects

Down By Almost 90 Percent

The most current NSF survey of S&E

research facilities at universities and colleges1

 shows an 89.7-percent decrease in

funding for research facilities constructed at

the 29 HBCUs sampled since FY 1986-87

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

$80

$90

1986-87 1988-89 1990-91 1992-93

Total

Federal Gov't

State/local gov't

Inst'l funds

Private donations

Chart 1. Source of funds for science & engineering

research facility construction projects at

HBCUs: 1986-93

SOURCE: NSF/SRS, 1994 Survey of Scientific &

Engineering Research Facilities at Universities

and Colleges

(chart 1). 2 The HBCUs are almost completely dependent on public funds to construct

infrastructure. The Federal Government

continues to provide most of those funds, with

State/local government being the secondlargest contributor. In fiscal years 1986-87,

1988-89, and 1990-91 HBCUs received a

limited amount of money from institutional

funds and private donations. However, in FY

1992-93, the Federal and State/local governments were the only providers of such funding

for HBCUs, giving $6.6 million and $2

million respectively, down by 82.6 percent

and 93.3 percent from FY 1986-87 (chart 1).

The repair/renovation expenditures for S&E

research facilities decreased by almost 50

percent (47.4 percent) between FY 1988-89

2 The 29 institutions sampled in the Facilities Survey

produce 90 percent of all separately budgeted research in

HBCUs. NSF/SRS Academic Science and Engineering:

R&D Expenditures, Fiscal Year 1992, Detailed Statistical

Tables, NSF 94-324 (Arlington, VA, 1994).

1 See NSF/SRS, Scientific and Engineering

Research Facilities at Universities and Colleges: 1994,

NSF 94-315 (vol. I, Analysis) and NSF 94-316 (vol. II,

Detailed Statistical Tables), (Arlington, VA, 1994).
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Table 1. Assessment of quality/condition of S&E research facilities

at HBCUs: 1988-94

[Percentage of research space]

Condition of S&E research facilities 1988 1990 1992 1994 1/

Total......................................................................100 100 100 100

 Suitable for most highly developed and

 scientifically sophisticated research................... 36 31 34 31

 Effective for most purposes........................ 39 45 41 39

 Requiring limited repair/renovation 2/............ 18 18 17 21

 Requiring major repair/renovation 2/............ 7 7 8 9

 1/ Data for this item and 1988, 1990, and 1992 are based on the 29 HBCUs 

included in the survey consistently since 1988.

 2/ Includes both"requires major repair or renovation" and "requires replacement." 

SOURCE: NSF/SRS, 1994 Survey of Scientific & Engineering Research at Universities 

 and Colleges 

and FY 1992-93 (chart 2). As with construction,

the Federal Government and State/local governments have been the largest provider of funds

for repair/renovation of HBCUs, contributing

$32.6 million and $17 million between FY

1986-87 and 1992-93.

In 1988-89 slightly over one-third (36 percent)

of HBCUs S&E research facilities were rated as

“suitable for the most scientifically sophisticated

research.” In 1993-94 the number dropped

slightly, to 31 percent (table 1). Seven percent

of the facilities were rated as “requiring major

repair/renovation.” In 1994 the number of these

facilities rose slightly, to 9 percent (table 1).

construction, and $13.9 million in

repair/renovation for FY 1995-96.

Aside from these planned expenditures, 10 of these institutions

reported having approved institutional plans for S&E research

facility construction projects

beyond FY 1994-95 which had to

be deferred for lack of funding.

The survey collected data on need

only from schools with approved

institutional plans for FY 1994-95

which included deferred space.

The restrictive nature of the

survey question on deferred needs

limited the number of institutions

that could respond. So, the costs

of these unfunded and deferred

capital projects represent a

conservative estimate of the total

need for S&E research capital

projects. The funds needed for

these projects will total $93.8

million.

Only 5 of 29 HBCUs reported

approved plans for repair/

renovation projects for S&E

research facilities. Currently

unfunded, these projects will

total $9.2 million.

For more information contact

Dr. Ann Lanier at the Division

of Science Resources Studies,

National Science Foundation,

4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite

965, Arlington, VA 22230. For a

free copy, write to the above

address, call 703-306-1773, or

send e-mail to srspubs@nsf.gov.

[Millions of 1993 dollars]

Chart 2. Source of funds for S&E research facility

repair/renovation projects at HBCUs: 1986-93

$0

$2

$4

$6

$8

$10

$12

$14

$16

$18

1986-87 1988-89 1990-91 1992-93

Total

Federal Gov't

State/local gov't

Private donations

Institutional funds

SOURCE: NSF/SRS, 1994 Survey of Scientific & Engineering

Research Facilities at Universities and Colleges

Over $100 Million in Deferred

Capital Projects at HBCUs

The 29 HBCUs included in the survey had

planned expenditures for $24.4 million in