Conclusion : PEI Initiative Strengthens Federal ROI and Expands National Innovation Capacity The PEI Initiative supports institutions on the “brink of breakthrough,” such as those between R1 and R2 status, whose growing research capacity is gaining recognition beyond the HBCU community and increasing visibility within the broader federal and scientific landscape. This initiative aims to further advance HBCU research through strategic partnerships and engagement with the translational and research communities. It complements the Carnegie classification by emphasizing not only research scale—$50 million in expenditures and substantial doctoral output—but also strong translational and public-impact potential. In summary, PEI connects HBCUs to federal contracts, public-private partnerships, and translational pathways through a NAICS-based approach—thereby scaling existing institutional strengths into high-value research engagement aligned with HHS priorities and NIH’s unified research strategy. In doing so, PEI operationalizes Executive Order 14283 by translating its directive into measurable outcomes that expand HBCU participation in the federal R&D ecosystem and generate a clear return on federal investment through enhanced research capacity, competitiveness, and national scientific impact.
Footnotes:
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). 2024. Higher Education Research and Development: Fiscal Year 2023. NSF 25-314. Alexandria, VA: U.S. National Science Foundation. Available at https://ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/higher-education-research-development/2023 1 Center for American Progress. “RELEASE: New Data Reveal Disproportionately Low R&D Funds Awarded to HBCUs.” Press release, September 24, 2025. American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-new-data-reveal-disproportionately-low-rd-funds-awarded- to-hbcus/ 2 American Council on Education. "Issue Brief Highlights the Legacy of Underfunding HBCUs." Higher Ed Today, November 4, 2022. https://www.higheredtoday.org/2022/11/04/issue-brief-highlights-the-legacy-of- underfunding-hbcus/ 3 American Council on Education (ACE) and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. 2025. 2025 Carnegie Classifications: Research Activity Designations and Methodology Update. Washington, DC: American Council on Education. Available at https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/news/carnegie-classifications- release-2025-research-activity-designations-debut-updated-methodology/. 4
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