{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-cardin-mfume-announce-5-million-to-boost-morgan-state-universitys-research-capabilities", "Van Hollen, Cardin, Mfume Announce $5 Million to Boost Morgan State University\u2019s Research Capabilities", "2024-11-04", "2024", "2024-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MD", "Chris Van Hollen", "V000128", "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "vanhollen", "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) announced $5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education for Morgan State University (MSU) to strengthen its research capacity to better serve its students, faculty, the Baltimore community, and the nation.\n\nMorgan State, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in Baltimore City, is currently classified as a \u201chigh research activity status\u201d (R2) university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education; this funding will support the University\u2019s efforts to achieve the Carnegie classification of \u201cvery high research activity status,\u201d (R1), by 2030. An R1 classification would provide more opportunities for MSU students and faculty to conduct even more transformative and impactful research. Among the 146 R1-designated colleges and universities in the U.S., none are HBCUs.\n\n\u201cMorgan State not only provides a quality education to thousands of students, it also serves as a hub for cutting-edge innovation. With this $5 million in federal funding \u2013 along with support from the HBCU RISE Program \u2013 we are furthering Morgan State\u2019s goal of becoming one of the first HBCUs to achieve R1 status while diversifying the pipeline of leaders working to solve our most pressing challenges,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen, who introduced legislation and then worked to pass the language to create the HBCU RISE program as a provision of the FY23 national defense bill in order to spur greater research investment in R2 HBCUs such as Morgan State to help them achieve R1 status while strengthening our national defense research.\n\n\u201cMorgan State has become a central part of our engine of economic growth despite decades of underfunding. The university is leading research that strengthens key industries like technology and health care and prepares students to compete in a global economy,\u201d said Senator Cardin. \u201cThis funding will support new and existing programs that will help Morgan State reach new heights and reinforces our commitment to investing in Maryland\u2019s HBCUs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis announcement for Baltimore\u2019s Morgan State University will further enhance the research capabilities of one of our country's leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The funding will bolster Morgan in its efforts to attain the prestigious R1 research status \u2013 a needed designation to induce additional federal and state investment and empower the school\u2019s student body, faculty, and researchers,\u201d said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. \u201cI will always work in the Congress to uplift our nation\u2019s HBCUs that represent a beacon for Black excellence and promise,\u201d he concluded.\n\n\u201cThis generous $5 million federal investment is a crucial accelerator on Morgan\u2019s journey to becoming a nationally recognized very high research (R1) university. It represents a significant step forward for our students, faculty, and community, enabling new opportunities for transformative research that addresses real-world challenges,\u201d said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. \u201cMorgan is one of the nation\u2019s fastest-rising universities, and our elected leaders have been instrumental in that ascension. We are deeply grateful to Senator Van Hollen, Senator Cardin, and Congressman Mfume for their steadfast support in empowering Morgan as a national leader in inclusive innovation and knowledge creation.\u201d\n\nThe grant was awarded through the HBCU, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program, which the lawmakers funded at $50 million in fiscal year 2024. With this $5 million investment, MSU will boost its research expenditures in science, engineering, and other fields, recruit new full-time postdoctoral researchers, and increase its research and development capacity. The funds will also help enhance faculty professional development, prepare students for research and teaching assistant roles, and attract doctoral students to new programs and increase doctoral conferrals in STEM and social sciences fields.\n\nMSU will prioritize efforts to increase diversity among faculty, students, and research topics, ensuring equitable access to research opportunities. Further, the University will actively collaborate with industry, government agencies, and other research institutions to expand research opportunities, leverage resources, and advance solutions to real-world challenges.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:07:06Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-cardin-mfume-announce-5-million-to-boost-morgan-state-universitys-research-capabilities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.452065072953701, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}