This project is designed to provide intensive technical assistance in the innovation ecosystem and Regional Engine consortium through a face-to-face convening in Greensboro, NC (GSO) for a pilot group of HBCUs with emerging capacity to respond competitively to the 2025 NSF Engines RFP.
Inclusion criteria include HBCUs who are:
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- not currently leading an Engine’s Proposal;
- not currently engaged in a 2024 funded Engines consortium;
- identified as engaging in research and innovation that can be commercialized in a way to strength regional STEM innovation ecosystem cultivation;
- score an average of at least 2.5 between subcategories of Technological Hardware Infrastructural Components and Human Resource Infrastructure Components on the QEM National Scale Enterprise Readiness Rubric;
- have a designated Government Affairs Office or Representative;
- have a designated Chief Research Officer;
- have not experience executive leadership change since July 1, 2022; and
- are engaged in workforce development activities either through documented plan or projects.
This project will leverage the curriculum design support of consultants from who successfully supported the development of three out of seven Type1 and 2 Proposals, and the #BlackTechFutures Research Center whose work is in sustainable local Black tech ecosystems like those HBCUs would use and need in their Engine’s designs, for the technical assistance in project design implementation.
Disclaimer statement: This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2426364. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on posted materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.