Strickland, Adams, Turner, Brown, Stewart Introduce Legislation to Invest in Research at HBCUs

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) helped introduce the Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence Act (RISE) Act to bring federal dollars in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to HBCUs.

“The HBCU RISE Act will help HBCUs remain competitive against other academic institutions by creating equitable research opportunities,” said Strickland. “As a proud graduate of Clark Atlanta University, it is critical that we support minority-serving institutions by investing in HBCUs so that students and faculty can achieve research success.”

The Department of Defense plays a vital role in promoting STEM research, but HBCUs currently receive only 0.6 percent of their research investment. The pilot program this legislation creates would allow HBCUs the opportunity to attract quality research talent, pursue greater private funding, create equitable career opportunities, and much more.

Congresswoman Strickland introduced the HBCU Rise Act with Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Michael Turner (OH-10), Anthony Brown (MD-04), and Chris Stewart (UT-02).

U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress and is the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.