Thurgood Marshall College Fund congratulates member school Howard University for achieving Research-1 status

Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) officials are thrilled to congratulate member school Howard University for achieving a Research-1 (R-1) designation in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Howard University’s status follows two significant developments: the Department of Defense (DoD) announcing the first University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) being awarded to a consortia of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) led by Howard, and the American Council on Education (ACE) taking the lead on Carnegie Classifications and introducing a more transparent formula for reaching R-1 status.

To achieve R-1 status, universities must award at least 70 doctoral degrees on average each year and accumulate at least $50 million annually on average in research expenditures. TMCF was among the first organizations to work closely with ACE beginning in 2022, connecting their decision makers with HBCU administrators and researchers to provide constructive feedback in developing the new formula for the classifications.

Additionally, at the beginning of 2019, in partnership with the Emerging Technology Consortium, TMCF worked with the then House Armed Services Committee Vice Chair, Congressman Anthony Brown (D-MD), to introduce the HOMECOMING Act, which mandated the creation of the National Academies of Sciences study on the DoD’s potential role in creating an R-1 HBCU. The continuous engagement on this issue, of particular importance to both DoD and HBCUs, led to an increased focus on the equitable distribution of federal research funding and resulted in the inclusion of the HOMECOMING Research Act in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The report that was produced from the National Academies study recommended markedly increasing investment into the research capacity at HBCUs and ultimately led to the creation of the UARC on Howard University’s campus.

“I am beyond thrilled to offer my congratulations on behalf of TMCF to President Vinson and the entire Howard University community on this monumental achievement,” TMCF President &  CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said. “This announcement highlights the tremendous cutting-edge research being done at the university by first-class faculty and researchers. The R-1 designation announcement is a win for Howard but also for the entire HBCU ecosystem and is a clear demonstration of the results of intentional investments to benefit not only the universities themselves, but our nation as a whole. With continued federal investments, we look forward to additional HBCUs joining Howard with an R-1 designation in the next cycle.”

In addition to Howard achieving R-1 status, 13 HBCUs achieved the Research-2 (R-2) designation, meaning on average they spent at least $5 million in research activity and award at least 20 research doctorates. Those schools include TMCF member schools Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State University, Texas Southern University and Virginia State University, as well as private HBCUs Clark Atlanta University and Hampton University.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black college community. TMCF member schools include the publicly supported historically Black colleges and universities, predominantly Black institutions and historically Black community colleges, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending Black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.

TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.

CONTACT: Clara Ross Stamps
 The Thurgood Marshall College Fund
240-931-0696
clara.stamps@tmcf.org