HSI_Faculty_Funding
What to know and how to apply

Minority Serving Institution Funding Opportunities

For students and scholars from schools with this status.

Arizona State University has numerous resources to help you in the pursuit of funding opportunities and the development of competitive proposals from one of the largest HSIs in the nation.

Eligibility and records

 

Proof of eligibility

On Jan. 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education provided a letter confirming ASU as an eligible institution under Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act.

Record of success

ASU maintains a detailed narrative including its journey as a New American University and path to becoming one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions in the nation.

Continued initiative

Through collaborative partnerships outlined in this playbook, ASU nourishes an inclusive community dedicated to service at local, national, and global levels.

Identifying  funding

Research Development is committed to your search for opportunities from sources that align with your mission. Explore your options today!

Pivot Search Tool

Explore the university’s comprehensive search tool of eligible external funding opportunities from federal, state, and private foundations across the nation and around the world.

Opportunity Tracker

Knowledge Enterprise maintains an HSI Opportunity Tracker that indicates the university’s eligibility to submit for select proposals. This is not a comprehensive list but is updated regularly.

Grants.gov

Explore the nation’s single point of access for all competitive funding opportunities offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies. ASU is not eligible for all listed opportunities.

Pivot ProQuest is a comprehensive global source of funding opportunities including those specifically for Hispanic Serving Institutions as designated by the U.S. Department of Education. This tool enables users to create saved searches, get email alerts of funding opportunities that align with your research, search for internal grants, and record the deadline for limited submission grants. 

View this short video that demonstrates how to navigate the Opportunity Tracker. If you have questions about the tracker, or have a new opportunity you think should be added, please email researchdevelopment@asu.edu. If you have questions regarding eligibility for an opportunity, please contact your research administrator or RAhelp@asu.edu.

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Federal agencies and private funders often support efforts to broaden participation and enhance diversity among learners, educators  and practitioners in higher education. In addition, many opportunities exist to conduct fundamental and applied research on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. These efforts take form in the following types of funding:

  • Fellowships and career development for minoritized faculty and students.
  • Research on topics relative to increase diverse populations, promoting equity and nourishing a culture of inclusion.
  • Institution-level grants aiming to increase student and faculty success and retention.

Understanding what has been funded by an agency in the past can be beneficial in the ideation and development of your research plan. Past awards are accessible on the website of the agency of interest.

Limited 

Submissions

A limited submission is a program or funding opportunity with a restriction on the number of submissions from a single institution.

Limited Submissions serve as a transparent and equitable method for promoting and selecting the most competitive proposals for specified opportunities with a restriction on the number of submissions from a single institution. Limited Submissions are managed within Research Development, which provides actionable feedback for all submissions.

When a solicitation requires a Minority Serving or Hispanic Serving designation, this is not a Limited Submission. It is an eligibility requirement. 

When a solicitation requires submission by a specific type of institution, such as a land grant institution, it is an eligibility requirement.

A limited submission is when the solicitation requires the HSI designation and is limited to some predefined number of applications.

Principal Investigators are asked to confer with their Research Advancement professional to review both eligibility and limitations for all solicitations prior to pursuit. If your solicitation is a limited submission, please do the following:
 

Preparing your 

proposal

Research Development provides frequent workshops designed to empower a general audience that leverages best practices for developing a compelling, competitive proposal to any organization.

Best practice workshops

Research Development provides frequent workshops designed to empower a general audience to leverage best practice in developing a competitive proposal for any funding opportunity.

Development consultations

Research Development is always available to answer your questions, hear your ideas, review solicitations, discuss teaming and identify ways to enhance the competitiveness of a proposal.

Frequently asked questions

Federal regulations define a minority student as those who identify as Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian-American, Black (African-American), Hispanic American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) and Minority-Institutions (MI) have different criteria. 

  • The term Minority-Serving Institution is not defined by U.S. federal statute, but is often used as an umbrella term that Title III, V and VII programs fall under, including Hispanic Serving Institutions. 
  • The term Minority-Institution is described by federal statute as an institution that has a minority student enrollment composed of 50% or more of the total enrollment. This definition of “Minority-Institutions” applies only to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program and other programs whose statutes or regulations reference this term’s definition.

ASU typically meets the eligibility requirement for MSI funding opportunities, unless the opportunity has a criteria where an MSI is defined differently. ASU’s minority student enrollment is not currently 50% or more of the total student enrollment and is therefore is not eligible for funding opportunities limited to MIs. Please review ASU’s institutional eligibility to verify our standing.

MSIs are institutions of higher education enrolling a significant percentage of undergraduate minority students, or that serve certain populations of minority students under various programs created by Congress. MSIs are unique both in their missions and in their day-to-day operations. Some of these colleges and universities are located in remote regions of the country, whereas others serve urban neighborhoods. Some are only a few decades old, whereas others have been striving for more than a century to give their constituents the social and educational skills needed to overcome racial discrimination and limited economic opportunities. 

Through Presidential Executive Orders and special legislation enacted over the past 20 years, MSIs have accessed Department of Education (DoE) funds and leveraged other DoE resources on behalf of their students and communities. The list of DoE postsecondary institutions enrolling populations with significant undergraduate minority students is viewable here.

The types of MSIs include the following:

  • Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (ANNAPISIs)
  • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHs)
  • Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs)
  • Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
  • Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs)
  • Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
  • Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)

Yes, ASU is a Minority-Serving Institution, which is an umbrella term that Title III, V and VII programs fall under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. However, ASU is specifically designated a Hispanic Serving Institution through Title III and V programs. 

A Hispanic Serving Institution is defined as an accredited institution of higher education with an enrollment where:

  • 50% of the degree-seeking students are receiving need-based assistance.
  • At least 25% of the undergraduate full-time equivalent student population is Hispanic.

The Department of Education provides grants and assistance to Hispanic Serving Institutions to enable, improve and expand their capacity to serve Hispanic students and other low-income individuals.

There are various resources available within the Knowledge Enterprise – the Office of Sponsored Research Administration can help in identifying funds, finding a partner in pursuit of an opportunity and developing a competitive proposal.

Looking for individuals with expertise in Hispanic/Latino topics, or a partner in your pursuit of a funding opportunity? ASU has numerous faculty and staff associations whose members identify with a distinct demographic and often serve in capacities that benefit the success of individuals of similar backgrounds.

Hispanic Advisory CouncilChicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association