HBCU/MI Research Program

AFOSR HBCU/MI Research Program

Supports minority-serving universities with dedicated research funding and inclusion-focused defense partnerships.

The AFOSR Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Research Programme is a set-aside funding mechanism operated by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to increase the participation of minority-serving institutions in basic research aligned with Air Force science and technology priorities. The programme has two distinct components: AFOSR Core Research, in which proposals from HBCU/MI institutions are reviewed by AFOSR programme officers and funded from a Director's set-aside; and a DoD Infrastructure for HBCU/MI component, which is administered by the Army Research Office (ARO) in collaboration with AFOSR, with an ARO BAA typically published each autumn on the ARO website.

Eligible institutions are Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other designated minority-serving institutions. For-profit organisations and non-HBCU/MI universities are not eligible. The Core Research component accepts proposals on a continuous basis, reviewed by AFOSR programme officers aligned with the four scientific divisions: Engineering and Complex Systems, Information and Networks, Physical Sciences, and Chemistry and Biological Sciences. Specific award amounts are not published on the AFOSR programme page; they are determined by programme officers based on the scope and merit of submitted proposals. The AFOSR HBCU/MI programme contact is Mr. Edward Lee at HBCUMI@us.af.mil, (703) 696-7318.

For the Infrastructure component, eligible HBCU/MI institutions should monitor the ARO website in the autumn for the annual BAA, which covers facility and equipment investments rather than direct research funding. To be competitive in the Core Research track, HBCU/MI institutions should identify an AFOSR programme officer whose portfolio aligns with their proposed research, initiate contact before submitting a white paper, and demonstrate how the proposed basic research advances scientific knowledge relevant to Air Force needs. The programme is a key entry point for HBCU/MI institutions seeking to establish a sustained research relationship with AFRL, often leading to follow-on collaborative grants, fellowships, and student pipeline initiatives.