EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Presidential Executive Order 14283 establishes a federal directive and a government- wide mandate to increase HBCU participation in research and development, while delegating implementation to executive agencies. Housed within the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Small Business Program Office (SBPO), the Path to Excellence and Innovation (PEI) Initiative operationalizes this Executive Order by implementing practical strategies to strengthen HBCUs’ capacity to compete for, secure, and manage NIH contracts and federal funding. The PEI initiative provides infrastructure, hands-on guidance, and partnerships that enable HBCUs to translate their research strengths into measurable outcomes aligned with national R&D priorities. The Carnegie Classification System—which designates institutions as R1, R2, or RCU based on research activity—remains an important national indicator of research performance and institutional capacity. While not a direct measure of federal contracting readiness, Carnegie status influences how institutions are recognized for sustaining research infrastructure, supporting workforce development, and advancing talent-to-workforce pipelines. Many HBCUs are building R&D capacity that is not fully captured by Carnegie classifications but is directly aligned with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and NIH priorities in high-growth, mission-critical R&D-focused NAICS areas. The PEI Initiative complements this system by helping HBCUs strengthen operational capacity, performance indicators, and contracting readiness to compete for NIH opportunities, thereby supporting long-term institutional growth and expanding pathways to participate in federally funded initiatives.
Several strategic findings reinforce the need to maintain and increase investment in the PEI initiative:
Increasing HBCU Access to Federal Research Funding: According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), HBCUs currently receive less than 1% of all national research and development (R&D) funding —$772.6 million in FY2023 compared to $108.1 billion awarded to non-HBCU institutions. This gap highlights the reduced visibility of HBCUs in federal research and development (R&D) investment. The PEI Initiative directly addresses this by providing the support, training, and partnerships needed to help HBCUs compete for NIH grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. This ensures that these institutions can fully participate in and benefit from federal research opportunities, aligning with EO 14283’s mission to strengthen HBCU capacity and competitiveness. 1,2 3
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