Facilities and Administrative Cost Rates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Strategies for Building...

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Higher Education Research
• Public Policy

Background:

• Research programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face significant financial strain due to dwindling traditional revenue.
• HBCUs play a crucial role in training African American scientists and professionals, yet their research enterprises are often resource-limited.
• Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are essential for supporting research infrastructure and operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the disparities in F&A cost rates between HBCUs and non-HBCU institutions.
• To examine the underlying funding gaps and differences in F&A cost calculation methods.
• To propose strategies for establishing fairer F&A cost structures and enhancing research capacity at HBCUs.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of F&A cost rates between HBCUs and non-HBCU institutions.
• Case study examination using Meharry Medical College to illustrate F&A cost calculation differences.
• Exploration of policy, government, corporate, and institutional strategies.

Main Results:

• HBCUs consistently receive lower F&A cost rates compared to non-HBCU institutions.
• Existing F&A cost calculation methods may disadvantage HBCUs, contributing to funding gaps.
• Significant potential exists for research capacity-building at HBCUs with optimized F&A structures.

Conclusions:

• Equitable F&A cost rates are critical for strengthening the sponsored research enterprises at HBCUs.
• Addressing F&A cost disparities can unlock the untapped potential of HBCUs in research and innovation.
• Multi-level strategies are necessary to create fairer F&A cost structures and foster research excellence at HBCUs.