The mission of HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research is to improve life in American communities by building evidence to inform and strengthen housing and community development policy and practice and accelerate progress on HUD’s priorities.
The grant aims to fund research at Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that conduct projects on topics strategically important to HUD, specifically targeting housing, community development, economic development, or built environment challenges in underserved communities. The primary goals are to produce evidence-based solutions through rigorous policy-relevant research, develop actionable policy recommendations, and effectively disseminate findings to influence policy and practice. This initiative encourages innovation, the use of advanced research methodologies like big data analytics and AI, and community-engaged research. Applicants are expected to demonstrate their research capacity, detail plans for a sustainable Center of Excellence, and describe how their work will fill critical knowledge gaps. Priority will be given to proposals that present multidisciplinary approaches, include partnerships with other institutions or community organizations, and propose new models for transformative outcomes. HUD anticipates making up to four awards, with amounts ranging from $1 million to $4 million, exclusively to HBCUs.