WASHINGTON, DC (Apr. 29, 2026) – Fifteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Prairie View A&M University, today launched the Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI), a national coalition designed to accelerate world-class research, expand institutional capacity, and elevate HBCU leadership in addressing society’s most pressing challenges.
The organization will elevate the contributions of HBCUs in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research, expand policy influence, and accelerate transformative discoveries at scale. AHRI will do so by increasing research capacity, strengthening institutional infrastructure, boosting funding opportunities, enhancing faculty recruitment, and expanding student access to research and career pathways.
Member institutions will also collaborate to increase the number of HBCUs achieving Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification, which is the highest designation for research activity. AHRI is supported by a strategic partnership with the Association of American Universities (AAU), where its offices will be co-located, and a three-year, $1 million grant from the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery (H&LS) Initiative. Harvard University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research will also provide technical assistance.
“Today is not just an announcement, but a declaration that HBCUs are not only contributors to research and innovation, but also leaders shaping a new era of discovery, reimagining both the solutions and the systems that drive research,” said Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, Howard University interim president, president emeritus, and Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery.
Frederick serves as AHRI interim president. David K. Wilson, Ed.D., president of Morgan State University, serves as board chair, and Tomikia P. LeGrande, Ed.D., president of PVAMU, serves as board vice chair.
“The launch of AHRI represents an important inflection point for HBCU research institutions. Representing 50% of all competitively awarded federal research funding among HBCUs, this coalition reflects a significant concentration of research strength and doctoral capacity—and Prairie View A&M University is a key driver of that strength,” said Dr. LeGrande. “Through AHRI, we are leveraging this alignment to expand our research enterprise, accelerate discovery, and strengthen doctoral education while deepening the impact of our work in areas such as agriculture, engineering, and public health. PVAMU is helping define the future of research—and AHRI is the mechanism that amplifies the collective impact of HBCU research institutions at scale.”
AHRI’s founding members include Howard University — an R1 institution and the only HBCU to have achieved that designation — and 13 partner institutions classified as R2: High Research Activity: Clark Atlanta University, Delaware State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Hampton University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, South Carolina State University, Southern University, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University, and Virginia State University. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is also a member.
Collectively, AHRI institutions account for 50% of competitively awarded federal research funding among HBCUs and drive solutions in health, science, education, justice reform, and economic development.
The launch coincides with AHRI’s inaugural research symposium, “Expanding the Research Mission of HBCUs,” convening higher education leaders, policymakers, and industry partners to explore strategies to strengthen research infrastructure and expand collective impact.
“AHRI marks a powerful new chapter in the HBCU research landscape, bringing institutions that have too often worked in isolation into sustained collaboration with one another and with the country’s leading research universities,” said Ruth Simmons, Ph.D., senior adviser to the Harvard University president on engagement with HBCUs and a three-time college president.
“We are privileged to leverage our expertise in research infrastructure and capacity-building to help strengthen the foundation for HBCU research excellence and support more institutions on the path from R2 to R1 status,” said Sara Naomi Bleich, Ph.D., vice provost for special projects at Harvard.
“The H&LS Initiative’s growing portfolio of partnerships with HBCUs has shown how transformative these collaborations can be for students and faculty. This new partnership with AHRI will build on that success and further expand the opportunities and recognition for premier HBCU research institutions.”
AHRI was established through collaboration among visionary leaders committed to elevating HBCU research capacity and influence. In addition to Frederick, Simmons, Wilson, and LeGrande, collaborators included Harold L. Martin Sr., Ph.D., chancellor emeritus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. With administrative and legal support from Howard University, the organization was formally incorporated on June 14, 2023, and convened its inaugural board meeting on October 18, 2023.
AHRI leaders also issued a call to action for government, corporate, and philanthropic partners to invest in the future of HBCU research and innovation.
About AHRI
The Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI) is a coalition of leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities dedicated to advancing research excellence, innovation, and public impact. In partnership with the Association of American Universities, AHRI is amplifying the collective voice of HBCU research institutions—elevating their national presence, strengthening policy influence, and accelerating transformative research that addresses society’s most pressing challenges at scale.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY (PVAMU), founded in 1876, is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas and the fourth-largest Historically Black College or University in the nation. Designated an “institution of the first class” in the Texas Constitution, enrollment exceeds 10,000 students, and the University has more than 85,000 graduates. PVAMU offers academic programs through its 12 colleges and schools, with degree options ranging from bachelor’s through doctoral degrees. A Carnegie-classified high-research (R2) university and a member of The Texas A&M University System, PVAMU is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research, and service. For more information, visit pvamu.edu.
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