The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Morgan State University nearly $3 million in research grants in FY25. The funding boosts the university’s research activity across multiple industries.
Faculty researchers are on a path to Morgan’s annual goal of $100 million in awarded research grants and contracts, with the NSF’s contribution bringing Morgan to more than $77 million in research grants and sponsored projects to-date.
The NSF funding supports nine diverse initiatives in microelectronics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity, STEM education equity, career readiness and mobility accessibility.
These projects reflect Morgan’s focus on technology, education, and social equity.
“Federal support from agencies such as the National Science Foundation that funds research at our nation’s colleges and universities is much more than simply an investment in science, particularly at our HBCUs. It’s an acknowledgment of the need for diverse scientific perspectives that our faculty- and student-led research bring to the scientific community,” said Willie E. May, Ph.D., vice president for the Division of Research and Economic Development (D-RED) at Morgan. “We are on track to this becoming, by far, Morgan’s best year ever for securing new research awards and engaging in the meaningful investigative studies that they support. We look forward to continuing to broaden Morgan’s research capacity to support our nation’s competitiveness agenda as well as critical local, state and federal needs.”
This NSF grant funding moves the university closer to its goals of expanding its contributions to workforce development, particularly in underrepresented communities.
“We are honored to receive these NSF grants that not only affirm the caliber of our faculty’s research but also propel us closer to achieving R1 status in the next cycle of Carnegie classifications,” added Hongtao Yu, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs at Morgan. “This support enables our dedicated researchers to deepen their exploration of critical scientific questions while fostering an environment where students actively participate in cutting-edge discovery.”
Some of Morgan’s NSF-funded research in the first quarter of this fiscal year include: Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Building Research Capacity at HBCUs; NRT-AI: AI-driven Next-Generation Semiconductor Materials and Devices; Broadening Participation in Chemistry and Chemistry of Life Processes, and more.
Morgan State University is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution and Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University.
