Department of Natural Sciences

About The HBCU-ASPIRE

Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC): HBCU Alliance for Strategic Partnerships for Innovation and Research Enhancement (HBCU-ASPIRE)

This project is the Historically Black College & University (HBCU) collaborative research alliance among the institutions, Coppin State University, Florida Memorial University, Kentucky State University, and Harris-Stowe State University. Strategic Partnerships for Innovation and Research Enhancement (HBCU-ASPIRE) initiative addresses the infrastructural needs for research and innovation within HBCUs. This project's major goals are to improve the existing infrastructural obstructions of the office of sponsored research, faculty support and training, pre- and post-research award management systems, and develop a collaborative, efficient, and innovative research milieu in these HBCUs. Furthermore, such HBCU initiatives will be the model for other institutions in their journey to strong research and innovation infrastructures.

Goals & Strategic Plan

Coppin State University (CSU) is classified as “Master’s Colleges and Universities” and serves an urban population of multigenerational learners from Baltimore and all over the world. Nationally recognized for community engagement, CSU offers 33 undergraduate and 13 graduate degrees, along with 13 certificate programs and one doctorate.

Current State & Limitations

The Science and Technology Center (STC) at CSU is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical and characterization tools for research and sustained partnerships. However, there are constraints (infrastructure and personnel) hindering faculty ability to secure grants which will attract external partnerships from industry and state agencies. These limitations include absence of release time for faculty (overburdened with teaching), inadequate grant writing/management skills, and Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) support. CSU’s OSP is understaffed and lacks an eRA (grant management software) for pre- and post-award management.

Institutional Capacity Building & Partnership Expansion Objectives

The goal of this grant is to promote, support and build CSU’s student/faculty research capacities. This project will enable it to build strong partnerships with local, regional, and external research institutions as well as private industries and government-funded agencies. Another aim of this grant is to create and sustain multi-institutional partnerships with the cohort and industry.

Strategic Plan

CSU will realize these goals through activities such as grantsmanship training for faculty, staff, and students involved in research administration. CSU will acquire Kuali eRA software to enhance its pre- and post-award process. Another activity will be to draft institutional policies that will address release time for faculty to propose, manage grants, etc. We will create an industry advisory board to include industry partners, biotech, etc. Lastly, CSU will engage cohort partners twice annually to support gaps in research (e.g., workshops and training across the partners). Activities planned will build institutional capacity and support faculty in the writing of more competitive grants, improve capacity for student research, receive support for accomplishing efficient pre- and post-award management, and share information regarding opportunities for proposal and research development.

Outcomes are expected to provide a framework to better inform the creation of an innovation center at CSU. CSU will strengthen and expand partnerships through investments in infrastructure and faculty development. Finally, models will be developed replicated across cohort institutions (when applicable) as shared resources our team expects will continue beyond the end of this project.

Collaborative Institutions

Florida Memorial University (Lead HBCU Institution)
Jayanta K. Das, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Harris Stowe State University
Freddie E. Wills Jr., Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Kentucky State University
Richard Maiti, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Youngblood & Associates, LLC
Marta Collier-Youngblood, External NSF Grant Evaluator

Contact Information

For more information about the HBCU-ASPIRE project, contact:

Dr. Mintesinot Jiru
Principal Investigator (PI)
Email Dr. Jiru

Dr. Emmanuel Atta-Obeng
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Email Dr. Atta-Obeng