Howard University announced yesterday it had been conferred a Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification, which is widely considered to be the highest research activity classification among colleges and universities in the United States

Senator Reverend Warnock introduced his bipartisan Increase America’s Research Capacity Act of 2023, which instructs the Department of Commerce and Comptroller General of the United States to conduct studies to identify how HBCUs can achieve R1 status

The Senator successfully secured additional funding to ensure HBCU’s and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) had additional administrative support to secure federal STEM dollars in the CHIPS and Science Act

Senator Reverend Warnock is a proud product of Atlanta HBCU Morehouse College and the only HBCU alum currently serving in the U.S. Senate

A life-long advocate of HBCUs, last year, Senator Reverend Warnock delivered commencement speeches at Georgia’s Albany State University, Tennessee State University, and Johnson C. Smith University

Senator Reverend Warnock has secured $267 million for Georgia’s HBCUs to date, part of $17 billion in federal investments delivered to HBCUs

Senator Reverend Warnock: “HBCUs play a vital role helping shape the next generation, and this designation goes a long way in helping illustrate their importance to our nation and their ability to perform on par and above the level of any other institution in the country”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a proud HBCU graduate and a champion of HBCUs in the Senate, applauded the recent announcement that Howard University was named a Research One (R1) institution by the American Council on Education (ACE), making it the first and only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to achieve this status.

“HBCUs play a vital role helping shape the next generation, and this designation goes a long way in helping illustrate their importance to our nation and their ability to perform on par and above the level of any other institution in the country,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “We know that HBCUs have long punched well above their weight, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my HBCU, Morehouse College, and as the only HBCU alum currently serving om the Senate, I will continue fighting on behalf of these storied institutions so that they have the funding needed to develop and cultivating future world contributors and leaders.”

Senator Warnock has long worked to support HBCUs and has led two efforts to support HBCUs in pursuit of the R1 designation. In 2023, Senator Reverend Warnock introduced his bipartisan bill, the Increase America’s Research Capacity Act of 2023, which instructs the Department of Commerce and Comptroller General of the United States to conduct studies to identify how HBCUs can achieve R1 status. Additionally, the Senator successfully secured additional funding to ensure HBCU’s and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) had additional administrative support to secure federal STEM dollars in the CHIPS and Science Act.

Senator Warnock led an effort highlighting his concerns with the classification methodology for higher education, urging needed reforms. In the letter, Senator Warnock urged the American Council on Education, which oversees the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, to make needed reforms to its classification methodology for higher education to reflect the importance and potential of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Before Howard University’s announcement, there wasn’t a single HBCU with the R-1 classification.

There are many incredible research institutions, especially MSIs and HBCUs, that do tremendous research, but are not recognized by the current methodology, which accounts for research dollars spent and the number of research faculty, but not necessarily research quality or utility,” Senator Warnock wrote to the American Council on Education in 2023. 

As the proud product of an HBCU, Senator Warnock is deeply committed to doing all he can to ensure these institutions thrive. To date, Senator Warnock has secured more than $267 million for Georgia HBCUs and more than $17 billion in total for HBCU campuses across the country, and has helped spearhead bipartisan calls for robust funding for HBCUs. In 2023, Senator Warnock addressed HBCU faculty and staff and led the group in prayer at the 7th Annual HBCU Fly-In and outlined his priorities for these important institutions. He has worked to strengthen 1890 land grant institutions and minority serving institutions and pushed hard to secure robust funding for 1890 Land-Grant colleges and universities.

The “R1” or “very high research activity” status is a designation created by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which is now being revamped by the American Council on Education (ACE). “R1” institutions have “very high research activity,” which is the highest designation of research activity.

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