(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a Cleveland Democrat and seasoned member of Congress,  announced yesterday more than $40 million from Congress for basic research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Central State and Wilberforce universities are among those receiving the funds.

The funding is designed to increase HBCU/MI participation in DoD’s research, development, test and evaluation (RDTE) programs and activities. The conference report has passed the House and Senate and now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Biden and Brown, both Democrats are allies who served in the senate together.

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities, like Wilberforce and Central State in Ohio, are a critical part of our nation’s higher education system and provide important research opportunities to minority students,” said Brown in a statement “Additional funding for these research programs will help ensure we widen the talent pool and strengthen minority participation in research and development for years to come.”

Approximately 97% of DOD's RDT&E funding is appropriated in Title IV (Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation), which includes appropriations for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, a Defense-wide RDT&E account.

Sen. Brown led a bipartisan amendment to the NDAA advocating for robust funding for RDTE. In 2019, Brown wrote to Congressional authorizers asking for increased funding in the final version of the NDAA. The funds still need to be appropriated, and Brown said he will continue fighting to secure these funds in the final Defense Appropriations bill.

A member of the U.S. Senate since 2007 and a former U.S. representative and prior Ohio secretary of state, Brown defeated two-term Republican incumbent Mike DeWine in the 2006 to win the senate seat and was reelected in 2012, defeating state Treasurer Josh Mandel. He was reelected again in  2018, defeating U.S. representative Jim Renacci. DeWine went on to win an election for Ohio attorney general and is now Ohio's 70th governor.

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.