Collaborative Research: Ideas Lab: HBCU Climate Action Network

This project represents a trailblazing effort to address the complex challenges of climate change through collaborative research and capacity-building activities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The HBCU-Climate Action Network (HBCU-CAN) is a multi-institution consortium led by Xavier University in Louisiana, in collaboration with Coppin State University in Maryland, Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, Hampton University in Virginia, and Kentucky State University in Kentucky.

These five institutions are distinctly capable and strategically positioned to collaboratively address the grand challenges of climate change that adversely impact the communities they serve. HBCU-CAN envisions achieving these outcomes through an intentional program of research and network capacity-building activities that center around themes of climate change and justice related to Clean Energy Generation and Storage, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, and Environmental Justice.

In this pilot project, the consortium will prioritize activities to strengthen research capacity and network building across the institutions, as well as activities to further integrate the three research themes. The project will engage faculty, local communities, and students in “culturally congruent” interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research that spans the range of basic research programs in NSF-supported fields.

The long-term vision of HBCU-CAN is to incubate and catalyze vibrant collaborative research cultures and projects among the five participating HBCUs and their local communities. Through this energized network, faculty and students from the participating institutions will conduct innovative basic, translational, and use-inspired research in interdisciplinary topics related to climate science and justice.

Project activities include expanding the inter-institutional collaborations to enhance research capacity in atmospheric science and environmental remediation; supporting faculty professional development and student training in climate sciences, engaging with community stakeholders for developing practical and influential strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and continual networking and engagement to ensure integration and synergy across the research themes. This project is funded by the NSF HBCU-Excellence in Research program and co-funded by the NSF Directorate of Geosciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.