New Bill Would Reserve 10% of NSF AI Institutes for HBCUs

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee of North Carolina has introduced the HBCU Artificial Intelligence Research Leadership Act, legislation that would require at least 10% of research institutes established through the National Science Foundation's National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program be operated by or partnered with historically Black colleges and universities.

The bill targets what its sponsors call a persistent gap in federal AI research investment — one that has left HBCUs largely outside the infrastructure being built to train the next generation of AI researchers.

The Pipeline Problem in AI Research

NSF's AI Research Institutes program has become the federal government's primary mechanism for standing up large-scale AI research centers. These institutes receive multi-year, multi-million-dollar awards and serve as hubs for workforce development, applied research, and industry partnerships.

But HBCUs — which produce a disproportionate share of Black STEM graduates — have been underrepresented among awardees. The Foushee bill addresses this directly by setting a floor, not a ceiling, for HBCU participation.

"This act will expand access to cutting-edge research, strengthen the AI workforce pipeline, and create high-quality jobs and economic opportunity in communities that have too often been left out of major federal investments," Foushee said in announcing the legislation.

Endorsements Signal Broad HBCU Support

The bill has drawn backing from several major organizations in the HBCU research ecosystem:

• Thurgood Marshall College Fund's Payne Research Center
• Alabama A&M University
• Atlanta University Center Consortium
• Universities Space Research Association's HBCU Science and Technology Council

These endorsements span research universities, advocacy organizations, and consortium networks — suggesting coordinated institutional support rather than a single-champion effort.

What Grant Seekers at HBCUs Should Watch

If the bill advances, it would create a defined pathway for HBCU researchers to compete for NSF AI institute funding. Faculty and research offices at HBCUs should begin building the collaborative teams and institutional capacity needed to respond to future solicitations.

Those tracking AI research funding across federal agencies can follow developments through Granted, which monitors NSF, DOE, and DARPA opportunities alongside foundation grants. The 10% carve-out, if enacted, would represent one of the most concrete federal commitments to diversifying AI research infrastructure.