Howard University became the first historically Black college to achieve the highest research classification for U.S. universities, officials announced Thursday.
The American Council of Education granted Howard a Research 1 Carnegie Classification, recognizing institutions with very high research spending and doctorate production.
“This achievement demonstrates our research capacity and commitment to tackling society’s most pressing questions,” said Howard President Ben Vinson III.
To qualify as R1, universities must spend at least $50 million annually on research and development and produce at least 70 research doctorates. Howard surpassed both benchmarks, spending nearly $85 million on research and awarding 96 doctorates in fiscal year 2023, according to Bruce Jones, senior vice president for research.
The university leads several major research initiatives, including:
- One of 15 U.S. Defense Department university research centers, focusing on tactical autonomy and artificial intelligence
- The nation’s first center dedicated to sickle cell disease research
- A partnership with five other institutions studying power optimization for electric vehicles
- The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, which houses extensive archives on Black history
- A Defense Department center studying artificial intelligence with other universities
- The only comprehensive national resource center for African studies at a historically Black college
- The only cancer center at a historically Black university offering full treatment and training services
Jones said Howard awards more doctorates to Black students than any other U.S. university.