Southern University and A&M College to receive $2 million grant to advance capacity building and innovation

Southern University and A&M College was recently selected among eight historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to receive $2 million as part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) Project HBCU Capacity Building Initiative, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. 

The multi-year initiative represents a $25 million investment to strengthen HBCUs through research, operations and innovation. 

“Through these investments, we are equipping HBCUs to thrive as engines of economic mobility and academic excellence,” said Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of TMCF. “This initiative is not just about funding projects—it’s about building sustainable capacity so that our institutions can continue to lead, innovate and transform lives for generations to come.”

Southern’s proposal, "Building Capacity for Strategic Data Leadership at Southern University and A&M College," aims to strengthen the university’s ability to use data in decision-making to improve student success, enrollment and institutional performance. 

Project HBCU Capacity Building prioritizes both student and institutional success by strengthening research, modernizing operations, advancing student achievement and fostering collaboration across the HBCU sector.

Over the next two years, TMCF and its partners will track improvements in enrollment, retention, graduation rates, research output and institutional sustainability across participating schools, ensuring measurable long-term impact.