Enabling a Basic Research Culture at Historically Black Colleges and Univesities (HBCUs)

Howard University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Howard University is requesting a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) to plan and execute a two-day conference, "Enabling a Basic Research Culture at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Social Sciences October 18-20, 2001. The guiding principle behind the conference is that it seeks to provide an opportunity for young social science faculty at HBCUs to articulate their research goals, the potential impact of this research on their teaching and what is needed to facilitate and sustain a research culture at their institutions. More generally, this conference is important because of its potential impact. The anticipated outcome is a set of strategies that can aid the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other funding agencies who seek to achieve greater diversity (i.e., institution, gender, race and ethnicity) in their support of research activities in the social sciences. The project proposes to identify and engage young and new social science faculty in the construction of strategies that will enable them to increase their participation in basic research. For example, as a first step, using doctoral degree production data from NSF's Survey of Doctorate Recipients as a measure of actual or potential basic research and expertise, the investigators have identified a group of HBCUs who are likely to expand their social science research capacity with additional funding. Within these institutions the investigators propose to identify young and new faculty who are currently engaged in research. The focus is on new faculty because they are seen as having the greatest likelihood of establishing and building a research culture for the social sciences at these institutions through increased exposure to funding opportunities and networking with researchers at other HBCUs and majority institutions. The conference will consist of three plenary sessions with researchers who have successfully secured research funding and have studied or participated in projects to increase minority participation in the nation's basic research enterprise. Working sessions will be held to brainstorm and articulate what is needed to enable interested faculty at HBCU's to conduct basic research and to then integrate a research culture in their teaching activities. A funding opportunities session will also be held with program directors from NSF. Specific issues that will be addressed include: (1) cultivating research capabilities in junior faculty, (2) exploiting mechanisms for basic research funding, (3) the role of research in the primarily undergraduate institution, and (4) establishing a research culture for the social sciences. The recommendations that emerge from the conference will be disseminated to HBCU's, NSF and other funding agencies. The ultimate goal is to outline strategies for a primary concern-- how both HBCU faculty and funding agencies can increase the number of scholars competing for research funds, the quality of proposals, and ultimately the success rate of investigators from social science scholars from HBCUs for large support grants.