HBCU FACULTY INNOVATION LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
OVERVIEW
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Historically Black Colleges & Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) launched its inaugural HBCU Faculty Innovation Leadership Institute. The Institute provides training, research opportunities, grant opportunities, professional development, and resources in innovation-related areas in support of advancing HBCU faculty leadership development. The cohort learns from top stakeholders about topics including:
Tech transfer & R&D commercialization
Developing strategic partnerships & collaborations
Developing innovation-related curriculum
Identifying & applying for innovation-related grants
The inaugural cohort participated in an eight-month long development phase from October 2025 to June 2026.
The course culminated with a capstone presentation by the cohort in front of AAAS and NSF leadership at the AAAS Headquarters in Washington, DC in June 2026.
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To participate in the Faculty Innovation Leadership Institute, participants must be able to meet the following requirements:
Attend the institute orientation
Attend the monthly webinars scheduled each month
Review the preparatory articles (pre-work) before each session:
Submit all assignments prior to the following webinar
Practically engage with the cohort
Failure to adequately engage in the institute will result in termination from the program.
2025-2026 COURSE SCHEDULE
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Read her bio here.
Orientation/Introduction to Innovation Frameworks Speaker.
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Read his bio here.
Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, Coppin State University
Orientation/Introduction to Innovation Frameworks speaker
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Read her bio here.
Associate Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University
Design Thinking speaker
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Read her bio here.
Associate Professor, George Mason University
Leading Innovation Research speaker & Capstone office hours advisor
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Read her bio here.
Executive Director, Center for Applied Data Science & Analytics, Howard University
Grants and Resources to Advance Research & Innovation Capacity
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Read her bio here.
Innovation Advisor, Innovator Connector
Introduction to Tech Transfer & Commercialization speaker
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Read her bio here.
Founder, Consciously Funded
Innovation-Related Curriculum Development speaker
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Read her bio here.
Founder & CEO, DataedX Group, LLC
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Read his bio here.
Director, Higher Education Innovation Ecosystems, VentureWell
Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations to Advance Innovation Capacity speaker