The NSF Funded Ujima Collective Annual Meeting to Convene at Howard University
The Ujima Collective will convene its 2026 Annual Meeting on June 2–3, 2026, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., bringing together researchers, project leaders, institutional representatives, and evaluators from five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) committed to advancing research capacity and research administration excellence.
Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Ujima Collective is a partnership between Miles College, Howard University, Morgan State University, Tennessee State University, and Winston-Salem State University. Together, these institutions are working to strengthen research capacity, research administration, faculty development, and student engagement through a collaborative "Grow Your Own" research corps model.
To date, the Ujima Collective has successfully convened project meetings and activities at Tennessee State University and Miles College. The upcoming gathering at Howard University represents another important milestone in the project's commitment to collective work, shared learning, and institutional transformation.
This year's meeting will be hosted in the historic Myrtilla Miner Building, home to Howard University's School of Education. Founded in 1867, Howard University is one of the nation's most distinguished HBCUs and recently became the first HBCU to achieve Carnegie R1 Research Institution status, reflecting its national leadership in research, scholarship, and innovation.
Project leadership includes Dr. Jarralynne Agee of Miles College, the lead institution; Dr. Kimberley Freeman of Howard University; Dr. Michael Nettles of Morgan State University; Dr. Lin Li, Dr. Charles McCurry, and Dr. Artenzia Young-Siegler of Tennessee State University; and Dr. Rashunda Richardson and Dr. Tangela Towns of Winston-Salem State University.
During the annual meeting, participants will review project accomplishments and discuss next steps for the final phase of implementation. The group will examine findings from research capacity surveys administered to faculty and students across all five institutions and assess how those findings are informing institutional growth, faculty development, and project activities.
The meeting will also include a review of the research administration and scientific research training modules offered to faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students through the Miles College-hosted Canvas Learning Management System. These training opportunities serve as a cornerstone of the Ujima Collective's strategy for building sustainable research infrastructure and developing future research leaders across partner campuses.
The Annual Meeting will also feature the project's external evaluation team from Urban Metrics Consultants, including Dr. Kimberley Broomfield-Massey, CEO and Principal Consultant, and Dr. Tiffany Young, Research & Evaluation Manager. Their evaluation findings will help guide discussions on project outcomes, continuous improvement, and future directions for the Collective.
Additional agenda items will include project evaluation, annual reporting, survey analysis, training assessment, strategic planning, and the development of action plans for the coming year. Participants will engage in collaborative discussions focused on strengthening institutional research ecosystems and identifying best practices that can be shared across partner campuses.
Grounded in the principle of Ujima—collective work and responsibility—the partnership continues to demonstrate the power of collaboration among HBCUs. By sharing expertise, resources, and innovative practices, the Collective is creating a sustainable model for research capacity building that can strengthen institutions and expand opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
As the project advances into its next phase, the Ujima Collective remains focused on expanding research opportunities, strengthening research administration infrastructure, supporting faculty development, and preparing the next generation of scholars, researchers, and research administrators.
The Annual Meeting at Howard University will provide an opportunity not only to celebrate progress, but also to chart a path forward as the Collective continues its mission of building stronger research institutions through collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No awards 2430319-2430323. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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