Federal Research: Agency Funding and Outreach to Historically Black, Tribal, and Minority-Serving Colleges and Universities

What GAO Found

To support U.S. innovation, the federal government has invested in research and development (R&D) at colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI). As overall federal research funding to colleges and universities increased from fiscal year 2018 through 2022, the amount HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs received also increased.

Federal Research Funding Provided to Colleges and Universities, by HBCU, TCU, or MSI Status, Fiscal Year 2022

Twelve of the 14 federal research agencies GAO surveyed collectively offered at least 75 competitive research funding programs and initiatives targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs, or to partnerships with those institutions during fiscal years 2022 through 2024. Two agencies did not offer any such programs. These 75 programs and initiatives included research as well as research capacity-building activities. According to agency officials, as of May 15, 2025, awards under about half of the programs and initiatives were ongoing, changes in administration and agency priorities led to the termination of some awards under at least 10 of the programs and initiatives, and awards under some other programs and initiatives were paused for review.

Five agencies that GAO selected-the Department of Transportation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation-conducted outreach to increase HBCU, TCU, and MSI participation in federally funded research. Representatives from four of the six colleges and universities that GAO spoke to said site visits from agency officials helped connect them to research funding. As of May 15, 2025, officials from four of five selected agencies said they paused some outreach.

The five agencies tracked a variety of information aimed at assessing the effectiveness of their outreach efforts. For three agencies, that information was not tied to fully identified performance goals. According to agency officials, the strategic plans containing the goals and performance measures related to HBCU, TCU, and MSI outreach were either being revised or were no longer in effect as of May 15, 2025.

Why GAO Did This Study

HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are part of the federal R&D ecosystem, but these institutions have long faced barriers to securing federal research funding.

The Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (2022) includes a provision for GAO to examine federal efforts to increase research capacity and competitiveness at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. This report examines (1) HBCU, TCU, and MSI participation in federally funded research during fiscal years 2018-2022; (2) competitive federal research funding programs and initiatives that were targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs or to partnerships with those institutions in fiscal years 2022-2024; (3) outreach selected federal research agencies conducted to increase the participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in federally funded research and selected institutions' views on the outreach; and (4) the extent to which selected federal research agencies assessed the effectiveness of their outreach to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.

Using the most recent comprehensive data available at the time of our analysis to identify trends, GAO analyzed federal research funding to higher education institutions. GAO also surveyed and reviewed data from 14 federal research agencies on competitive research funding programs and initiatives targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. Additionally, GAO interviewed officials from five selected federal research agencies on their outreach to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including how they assess effectiveness of the outreach. GAO also interviewed representatives from six HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs-selected to represent a variety of institution types and research areas-about their views on agency outreach and conducted two site visits to an HBCU and a TCU.

For more information, contact Candice N. Wright at [email protected].