The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest biomedical research organization in the world. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, NIH’s Institutes and Centers obligated approximately $7.9 billion in contract awards to support the NIH mission. However, less than one percent of these contract awards is obligated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

To address this disparity, the NIH Small Business Program Office (SBPO) administers the Path to Excellence and Innovation (PEI) Initiative in accordance with Presidential Executive Order 14283, “White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” The PEI Initiative serves as a comprehensive vehicle to strengthen HBCU capacity to compete for, win, and successfully manage federal contracts.

In FY 2025, PEI onboarded a new cohort of 23 HBCUs. Participating institutions will engage in targeted outreach events, specialized training opportunities, and receive technical assistance from the PEI Accelerator Team to increase meaningful interaction with the NIH acquisition community.

For more information about the PEI Initiative, please contact [email protected]

PEI Cohort

Historically Black Colleges and Universities: