HBCU Research Capacity Act

Summary

Establishes a Federal Clearinghouse housed in the Department of Education to collect and publish comprehensive information on federal research and grant opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), provide best practices to build research capacity, and coordinate with major science and mission agencies. Requires agency reviews to identify programs that can adopt Clearinghouse best practices, quarterly updates to HBCUs that opt in, annual reports to Congress, and written notice to HBCU institutions when the Clearinghouse is published.

• Creates a Department of Education-based Federal Clearinghouse to list federal research and grant opportunities for HBCUs and provide best practices to build research capacity.
• Requires coordination with Commerce, Energy, Defense, Agriculture, NSF, EPA, and NASA and allows those agencies to detail personnel to the Clearinghouse.
• Mandates written notice to every Title III Part B institution and an annual report to Congress when the Clearinghouse is published and maintained.
• Offers optional quarterly Clearinghouse updates to any Part B institution that opts in to receive them.
• Requires participating agencies to review grant programs for alignment with Clearinghouse best practices and to report annually to congressional committees on gaps.
• Includes exemptions from the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act for implementation of the Clearinghouse.
• Does not itself appropriate new funds or create direct grant programs for HBCUs; it is an administrative and coordination measure.
• Aims to address documented underfunding and capacity barriers that limit HBCUs’ access to federal research funding.