HBCU Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence Act

To enable high research activity status historically Black colleges or universities to increase capacity toward achieving very high research activity status, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the HBCU Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Historically Black colleges and universities hold a unique position in the efforts of the United States to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics academic and workforce communities. (2) Although our Nation’s historically Black colleges and universities make up just 3 percent of the colleges and universities in the United States, historically Black colleges and universities graduate 25 percent of African-American students with baccalaureate degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (3) Historically Black colleges and universities are the institution of origin for almost 30 percent of Black graduates of science and engineering doctorate programs. (4) The health of the Department of Defense and the United States research ecosystem relies on high quality researchers from a diverse talent pool. (5) Historically Black colleges and universities have a history of conducting high quality research in unique areas, both providing impactful research outcomes and developing the next generation of the research ecosystem, including by— (A) conducting high quality research in unique areas that has enriched the Department of Defense research enterprise and the United States research ecosystem, including— (i) providing science and engineering faculty research opportunities at U.S. Navy Laboratories; (ii) a Young Investigators Program (iii) Centers of Excellence in biotechnology and materials science; and (B) strengthening and diversifying the United States research ecosystem by increasing the number of students who are students of diverse backgrounds from historically Black colleges and universities with undergraduate or graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; and (C) fueling domestic and international collaborations that led to trailblazing discoveries and innovative technologies. (6) In 2019, historically Black colleges and universities received $371,000,000, or about 0.8 percent of the $44,500,000,000 in Federal funding to institutions of higher education for research and development. The amount of funding for 2019 is a marked decrease from fiscal year 2018, when historically Black colleges and universities received $400,000,000 in Federal research and development funding (0.9 percent of the Federal funding to institutions of higher education for such purposes). (7) There are no historically Black colleges and universities designated as very high research activity status, as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. (8) Meaningfully investing in the research capacity of historically Black colleges and universities is an investment in our Nation’s future and will help meet accelerating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce demands and safeguard the national security interests of the United States. 3. Purpose The purpose of the program established under this Act is to provide additional pathways needed for further increasing capacity at historically Black colleges and universities to achieve and maintain very high research activity status. 4. Definitions In this Act: (1) Eligible institution The term eligible institution (2) High research activity status The term high research activity status (3) Historically Black college or university The term historically Black college or university part B institution 20 U.S.C. 1061 (4) Secretary The term Secretary (5) Very high research activity status The term very high research activity status (6) Very high research activity status indicators The term very high research activity status indicators (A) annual expenditures in science and engineering; (B) per-capita (faculty member) expenditures in science and engineering; (C) annual expenditures in non-science and engineering fields; (D) per-capita (faculty member) expenditures in non-science and engineering fields; (E) doctorates awarded in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields; (F) doctorates awarded in social science fields; (G) doctorates awarded in the humanities; (H) doctorates awarded in other fields with a research emphasis; (I) total number of research staff including postdoctoral researchers; (J) other doctorate-holding non-faculty researchers in science and engineering and per-capita (faculty) number of doctorate-level research staff including post-doctoral researchers; and (K) other categories utilized to determine classification. 5. Program to increase capacity toward achieving very high research activity status at historically black colleges or universities (a) Program (1) In general The Secretary shall establish and carry out, using funds made available for research activities, a pilot program to increase capacity at high research activity status historically Black colleges and universities toward achieving very high research activity status during the grant period. (2) Recommendations In establishing such program, the Secretary may consider the recommendations pursuant to section 262 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 ( Public Law 116–92 10 U.S.C. 2362 Public Law 117–81 (b) Grants authorized The Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to eligible institutions to carry out the activities under subsection (d)(1). (c) Application An eligible institution seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require, including a description of— (1) nascent research capabilities with respect to research areas of interest to the Department of Defense; (2) a plan for increasing the level of research activity toward achieving very high research activity status classification during the grant period, including measurable milestones such as growth in very high research activity status indicators and other relevant factors; (3) how such institution will sustain the increased level of research activity after the conclusion of the grant period; and (4) how the institution will evaluate and assess progress with respect to the implementation of the plan under paragraph (2). (d) Program components (1) Use of funds An eligible institution that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to support research activities with respect to research areas for STEM and critical technologies, as determined by the Secretary under paragraph (2), including— (A) faculty professional development; (B) stipends for undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral scholars; (C) laboratory equipment and instrumentation; (D) recruitment and retention of faculty and graduate students; (E) communication and dissemination of products produced during the grant period; (F) construction, modernization, rehabilitation, or retrofitting of facilities for research purposes; and (G) other activities necessary to build capacity in achieving very high research activity status indicators. (2) Strategic areas of scientific research The Secretary, in consultation with the Defense Science Board, shall establish and update, on an annual basis, a list of research areas for STEM and critical technologies. (3) Research progress reporting (A) In general Not later than 3 years after receiving a grant under this section, and every 3 years thereafter, an eligible institution shall submit to the Secretary— (i) a report that includes an assessment by the institution, using the criteria established in subparagraph (B), of the progress made by such institution with respect to achieving very high research activity indicators; and (ii) an updated plan described in subsection (c)(2). (B) Research assessment The Secretary, in partnership with the eligible institution, shall establish criteria for the report required under subparagraph (A)(i). (4) Grant period A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 10 years, to be determined by the Secretary. (5) Expansion of eligibility The Secretary may award grants under this section to historically Black colleges and universities that are not eligible institutions if the Secretary determines that the program can support such colleges and universities while achieving the purpose of the program described in section 3. (e) Evaluation Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives providing an update on the pilot program, including— (1) activities carried out under the pilot program; (2) an analysis of the growth in very high research activity status indicators of eligible institutions that received a grant under this section; and (3) emerging research areas of interest to the Department of Defense conducted by eligible institutions that received a grant under this section. (f) Termination The authority of the Secretary to award grants under the pilot program established by this section shall terminate 10 years after the date on which the Secretary establishes such program. (g) Report to Congress Not later than 180 days after the termination of the pilot program under subsection (f), the Secretary shall prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on the pilot program that includes the following: (1) An analysis of the growth in very high research activity status indicators of eligible institutions that received a grant under this section. (2) An evaluation on the effectiveness of the program in increasing the research capacity of eligible institutions that received a grant under this section. (3) An description of how institutions that have achieved very high research activity status plan to sustain that status beyond the duration of the program. (4) An evaluation of the maintenance of very high research status by eligible institutions that received a grant under this section. (5) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in increasing the diversity of students conducting high quality research in unique areas. (6) Recommendations with respect to further activities and investments necessary to elevate the research status of historically Black colleges and universities. (7) Recommendations on whether the program established under this section should be renewed or expanded.

Summary: HBCU Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence Act This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a pilot program to increase capacity for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that are designated as high research activity status to achieve and maintain very high research activity status. High research activity status (known as R2 status) and very high research activity status (known as R1 status) are classifications by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. DOD must award grants to support research activities in the areas of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) and critical technologies. DOD may expand the program to other HBCUs beyond those that are classified as high research activity status if DOD determines that the program can support such an expansion. DOD must annually establish a list of research areas for STEM and critical technologies for which grant applicants may seek funding.