S. 4167

119 S4167 IS: HBCU Research Capacity Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-03-24
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 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4167  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   March 24, 2026   Mr. Warnock  (for himself and  Mrs. Britt ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions    A BILL
To establish the Federal Clearinghouse on Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   HBCU Research Capacity Act  .
2.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are a vital source to the Nation’s research and workforce communities. While enrolling 8.5 percent of Black undergraduate students, HBCUs produce almost 18 percent of Black STEM bachelor’s degree recipients, as of 2024.
(2)
Despite these major contributions, only one HBCU, Howard University, has achieved very high research activity status. Furthermore, HBCUs received less than 1 percent of the approximately $60,000,000,000 in Federal research and development expenditures at colleges and universities in fiscal year 2023.
(3)
Due to historical underfunding, HBCUs face cyclical barriers in building research capacity, further limiting grant access, resources, and exasperating issues related to smaller endowments. This makes it even more difficult for scholars to secure Federal research funding.
(4)
In finding solutions to research and development barriers, a May 2024 report by the National Science and Technology Council recommends strategies such as expanding flexibility in funding, encouraging interagency collaboration to share best practices, and reforming merit-review to reduce bias and improve transparency.
(5)
Expanding research diversity is strategically important for national security, economic growth, and innovation. Underrepresentation of HBCUs in Federal research funding represents a missed opportunity.
(6)
A Federal clearinghouse providing information on grant opportunities and sharing best practices would help address barriers such as knowledge gaps, transparency, and capacity limitations.
(7)
Coordinated agency review, gap identification, and reporting to Congress should improve accountability and help ensure equitable access to Federal research funding for HBCUs.
(8)
Establishing, maintaining, and creating accountability measures for the Clearinghouse is therefore appropriate and necessary to notify eligible HBCUs and guide Federal agencies in supporting HBCU research capacity.
3.
Federal Clearinghouse on Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Part B of title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1060 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
328.
Federal Clearinghouse on Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(a)
Establishment
(1)
In general
The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall establish a Federal Clearinghouse on Research Capacity and Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (in this section referred to as the  Clearinghouse ) within the Department.
(2)
Purpose
The Clearinghouse shall be the primary resource of the Federal Government to identify and provide comprehensive information on Federal grant opportunities for which part B institutions are eligible or are exclusively eligible, delineating between the two categories, that support—
(A)
research and development; and
(B)
building institutional research capacity.
(3)
Personnel
(A)
Assignments
The Clearinghouse shall be assigned such personnel and resources as the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out this section.
(B)
Detailees
The Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration may detail personnel to the Clearinghouse.
(4)
Exemptions
(A)
Paperwork reduction act
Subchapter I of  chapter 35  of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the  Paperwork Reduction Act ) shall not apply to any rulemaking or information collection required under this section.
(B)
Federal advisory committee act
 Chapter 10  of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply for the purposes of carrying out this section.
(b)
Clearinghouse contents
The Clearinghouse shall include best practices and recommendations for part B institutions to build institutional research capacity and access Federal research funding, including best practices and recommendations from appropriate Federal, State, and local organizations, including from annual Agency Plan submissions described under section 4 of the HBCU PARTNERS Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1063d ).
 .
4.
Notification of Clearinghouse
(a)
Notification of publication
The Secretary of Education shall provide written notification of the publication of the Federal Clearinghouse on Grant Opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (referred to in this section and section 5 as the  Clearinghouse ), as required to be established under section 328 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as added by section 3 of this Act, to each part B institution (as such term is defined in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1061 )) and to Congress.
(b)
Annual notification to Congress
The Secretary of Education shall provide an annual report to Congress on the contents of the Clearinghouse.
(c)
Updates
The Secretary of Education shall—
(1)
provide each part B institution described in subsection (a) with the option to receive quarterly updates of Clearinghouse contents; and
(2)
send quarterly updates of Clearinghouse contents to each part B institution that chooses to receive the updates.
5.
Grant program review
The Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall each—
(1)
review grant programs administered by their respective agency and identify any grant program that may be used to implement best practices and recommendations of the Clearinghouse;
(2)
identify any best practices and recommendations of the Clearinghouse for which there is not a Federal grant program that may be used for the purposes of implementing the best practice or recommendation as applicable to the agency; and
(3)
on an annual basis, report any findings under paragraph (2) to the appropriate committees of Congress.