The purpose of this NOFO is to fund research at one or more research Centers of Excellence (Centers or COEs, COE when singular) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Centers will conduct research projects on topics of strategic interest to HUD and produce research that provides evidence-based solutions to housing, community development, economic development, or built environment challenges in underserved communities. Applicants must clearly specify proposed research projects and how they fill key knowledge and evidence gaps, describe their capacity to successfully conduct the proposed research and disseminate their findings to policymakers and other key stakeholders, and detail plans for developing and sustaining a Center of Excellence.Through this NOFO, HUD is seeking HBCUs with demonstrated capacity to conduct rigorous and policy-relevant research, develop actionable policy recommendations, and share findings with policymakers, community organizations and other key stakeholders able to implement policy and programmatic solutions to challenges in underserved communities. We encourage applicants to propose building on their demonstrated experience to do something new and innovative. We encourage the submission of proposals that draw on novel research approaches, including big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence; community-engaged and participatory research; and novel partnerships such as academic consortia and collaboration with other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), other Institutions of Higher Education, community-based organizations, or other federal, state and local government agencies. Partners can include subrecipients. Competitive applications will include action and sustainability plans, creative partnerships and collaboration models, multidisciplinary and holistic methodologies, and new or enhanced theory of change models designed to achieve transformative outcomes.HUD anticipates awarding up to four awards ranging from $1 million to $4 million. Using the funds made available through this NOFO, recipients will undertake multiple research projects.Research Projects: The research projects proposed by the applicant must be on topics of strategic interest to HUD that address challenges related to housing, community development, economic development, or the built environment in underserved communities. These topics may be from HUD's 2022-26 Learning Agenda, which identifies HUD's priority learning and research questions, consistent with the Departmental objectives and goals described in HUD's 2022-26 Strategic Plan.Other topics of strategic interest to HUD include:equity issues in local housing markets, broadly defined to include production and preservation, rental and homeownership, tenant protections, fair housing, zoning and land use, property appraisals, and property taxation;promoting housing stability and preventing people from experiencing homelessness;improvements and innovations in building codes, planning methods and construction technologies to address housing and community development needs and improve environmental sustainability and climate resilience; green or energy-efficient practices in housing and carbon reduction strategies;disaster preparedness and disaster recovery;leveraging technology to address housing, community development, and economic development needs, improve the built environment, or create wealth-building opportunities in historically underserved communities;innovative solutions that allow residents of HUD-assisted rental housing and other low-income renters to access economic opportunities, quality education, affordable transportation, health care, essential services, green space, and cultural amenities;housing and community planning that addresses the needs of and engages underserved communities.HUD is particularly interested in research to both better understand and eliminate disparities in laws and policies, and in public and private institutions, that may deny equal housing and community-building opportunities to individuals and families in underserved communities, and support policy solutions to address these disparities and that can be applied to a wide variety of communities. Research should relate to a long-term goal (e.g., improving minority homeownership). Given the range of possible research topics, the research funded by this NOFO has the potential to address almost all of the goals and objectives in HUD's Strategic Plan.The proposed research should apply new and context-specific approaches and methods to studying challenges faced by underserved communities in urban or rural areas. Applicants should also describe how the proposed research would fill key knowledge and evidence gaps and how they plan to share findings with policymakers, community organizations and other key stakeholders able to implement policy and programmatic solutions to challenges in underserved communities. Applicants may wish to review previously approved published research to avoid duplication and illustrate what completed HUD research studies look like.Center of Excellence: The research Centers of Excellence (COEs) shall conduct rigorous and actionable research focused on housing, community development, economic development, and the built environment in underserved communities. COEs should take a multidisciplinary approach to the research and use innovative methods. Ultimately, the purpose of a COE will be to support evidence-based, data-driven, and community-informed policymaking and program improvements at the local, state, and national levels.The COE will serve as a platform for the formulation, analysis, and dissemination of innovative, evidence-based solutions to address problems confronting underserved communities. The COE will perform academic research, hold expert convenings, and conduct related activities designed to advance understanding of economic and social factors that affect communities, including housing, economic and workforce development, health and health care, education, civic engagement, public safety, and other dimensions of community health. Through academic programs, research projects, and thought leadership, the COE will help leaders across all levels of government, as well as the business and civic sectors, address critical issues that impact the social and economic well-being of the families and individuals who reside in underserved communities.Applicants are encouraged to consider and apply lessons from the experiences of and research produced at COEs at HBCUs and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) funded through past HUD grants, as well as other university-based housing research centers.The awardee will be required to develop and submit a detailed plan for the development and long-term sustainability (beyond 5 years) of a Center of Excellence to continue the work started under this NOFO and serve as a leader in researching issues related to housing, community development, economic development, and the built environment in underserved communities. Eligible ActivitiesAwardees can use funds to conduct research projects on topics described in this NOFO and in their application that will contribute to the development of a sustainable research Center of Excellence. Funds can be used for a variety of research activities, including articulating research questions, establishing and implementing appropriate data analysis, communicating and sharing research findings, and producing informational tools and resources that improve practice.Center of Excellence does not refer to physical entities; HUD will not fund buildings or the rental and/or maintenance of office space. Funds may not be used for construction or other construction related activities, or for the purchase or lease of real property, or for the purchase of equipment.
