HUDRD - HBCU Research Center of Excellence | FR 6800 N 29F

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR 6800 N 29F

The HUDRD - HBCU Research Center of Excellence opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FR 6800 N 29F; CFDA 14.506) is a discretionary HUD research funding competition that supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities in building or strengthening a research Center of Excellence focused on housing, community development, economic development, and the built environment in underserved communities. HUD is looking for HBCUs that can produce rigorous, policy-relevant research that does more than describe problems; the expectation is that funded work will generate evidence-based solutions and actionable recommendations that policymakers, community organizations, and other stakeholders can use to improve programs and outcomes. Awards are made as cooperative agreements, which typically means HUD anticipates an active partnership role during the period of performance, not just a hands-off grant.

HUD expects to make up to four awards, with individual award amounts ranging from $1 million to $4 million (award ceiling $4,000,000), and recipients are expected to conduct multiple research projects under the umbrella of the Center. A strong application must clearly lay out the specific research projects being proposed, explain why those projects matter to HUD, identify the key evidence gaps they will fill, and show that the research team has the capacity to execute the work at a high level. Just as important, applicants need to present a credible dissemination and influence strategy: how findings will be translated and delivered to decision-makers and practitioners in ways that can realistically lead to policy or program improvements.

The research topics must align with HUD strategic interests, including priorities reflected in HUDs 2022-2026 Learning Agenda and HUDs 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. HUD also highlights a wide set of eligible and encouraged themes, such as equity in local housing markets (including production and preservation, rental and homeownership issues, tenant protections, fair housing, zoning and land use, appraisals, and property taxation), housing stability and homelessness prevention, and innovations in building codes, planning methods, and construction technologies that improve sustainability and climate resilience. Additional areas of interest include green or energy-efficient housing practices and carbon reduction strategies, disaster preparedness and recovery, and technology-enabled approaches that address housing and community development needs or create wealth-building opportunities in historically underserved communities. HUD also calls out research that improves access for low-income renters and residents of HUD-assisted housing to economic opportunity, quality education, affordable transportation, health care, essential services, green space, and cultural amenities, as well as housing and community planning that meaningfully engages underserved communities. Across these topics, HUD places special emphasis on research that helps identify and eliminate disparities embedded in laws, policies, and institutional practices, with an eye toward solutions that can be applied across different types of communities and that connect to long-term goals such as improving minority homeownership.

A key feature of the program is that the "Center of Excellence" is not meant to be a new physical building or facility. HUD will not fund construction, construction-related costs, the purchase or lease of real property, office rent or maintenance, or equipment purchases/leases. Instead, the Center is essentially an organized research enterprise or platform that can run high-quality studies, convene experts, and consistently produce and share useful evidence. HUD encourages multidisciplinary and holistic approaches that connect housing and community development to related dimensions of community well-being, including workforce and economic development, education, health and health care, civic engagement, public safety, and other factors shaping community outcomes.

HUD is explicitly encouraging innovation in both methods and partnerships. Competitive proposals are expected to go beyond conventional approaches and may incorporate big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and community-engaged or participatory research. HUD also encourages creative collaboration models, including academic consortia and partnerships with other Minority-Serving Institutions, other colleges and universities, community-based organizations, and federal, state, or local government agencies; these partners may participate as subrecipients. Strong applications are expected to include an action-oriented plan, a clear theory of change (or an improved one), and a sustainability strategy that shows how the Center will continue beyond the grant period.

Sustainability is a central requirement, not an afterthought. Awardees must develop and submit a detailed plan to sustain the Center for the long term, specifically beyond five years, so that the work initiated under this NOFO becomes a durable capacity for ongoing research leadership in underserved community issues. HUD also recommends that applicants learn from prior HUD-funded Centers of Excellence at HBCUs and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, as well as other university-based housing research centers, both to build on proven practices and to avoid duplicating already-completed studies.

Eligibility is limited to HBCUs (including current HBCU COE awardees, who are allowed to apply). The eligible applicant types listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with the explicit requirement that the applicant must be an HBCU to compete under this NOFO. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are not eligible. The original application closing date listed for this opportunity was July 9, 2024, and the opportunity was created on April 9, 2024.

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "HUDRD - HBCU Research Center of Excellence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 14.506.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for FR 6800 N 29F

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