This time last year, the University reported $72 million in research and development funding, before eventually closing the year out with $75.5 in total awards.
“At FAMU, we are committed to serving our state and the world by advancing knowledge through education and scientific discovery, and the steadfast growth of our research program is a testament to the outstanding faculty, staff and students who have the vision to imagine a better future and the skills and resilience to bring those ideas to life,” Robinson said.
“Research is the foundation of a great university, and our faculty continue to generate novel ideas and information to inspire the next generation,” Robinson added.
Higher educational observers suggest, most HBCUs have gotten increases in research funding in the “post–George Floyd era” that led to widespread national discussions about racial inequities in American society, including in higher ed, and the historic role of HBCUs in educating underrepresented students.
Closer to research 1 status
The increased funding could move FAMU closer to the "proverbial" R-1 goalpost. The classification is based on the amount of money an institution spends on research, the number of research staff members employed and the number of doctoral degrees awarded across disciplines to assess the volume, intensity and breadth of the research an institution produces.
To qualify for the R-1 or R-2 categories, which indicate “very high” or “high” research activity, respectively, institutions must have awarded at least 20 doctoral degrees and spent at least $5 million on research expenditures in a given year.
R-1 is considered the gold standard for quality educational research. Currently, no HBCU is an R-1. Howard University, which last year secured more than $122 million in research funding, previously held R-1 status in 1987 but fell to R-2 status after an update to the classifications in 2005. Howard official have since set a goal to regain it.
The lack of HBCUs on the R-1 list has not gone unnoticed by the stewards of the Carnegie classifications, which are now housed at the American Council on Education as of this spring.
Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and ACE senior vice president, said the organization is re-examining the classifications with equity in mind ahead of 2024, when the next round of classifications is scheduled to be released.