Ten traditionally black schools and universities will earn millions of dollars in investments for on-campus coronavirus testing services, bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest personal foundation, announced Tuesday.
The Gates Foundation, which focuses on providing education and fitness opportunities, said it would provide $15 million over 3 years to the percentage out of 10 HBCUs, which felt the sting of coronavirus closures.
Donations will be to expand and provide staff, education, laboratory equipment, verification kits, education and laboratory capacity for immediate check processing at six of the 10 universities that will serve as centers.
Hubs will pass through surrounding HBCUs, or “rays,” according to Gates Foundation Director of Strategic Planning and Management Toni Hoover.
The grants will allow these HBCUs to “evaluate all their students, universities and staff as required by their protocols,” Hoover said.
The Gates Foundation’s investment is the latest effort to fund HBCU, which has limited resources to address the COVID-19 pandemic on its campuses.
“Reopening campuses and keeping them open requires a number of things, but it certainly requires access to fast and effective COVID-19 testing,” said Allan Golston, president of the US Program. But it’s not the first time Bill Foundation.
“We are all located in those diverse communities where these disparities occur and where they have an effect will be incredibly important,” Florida President A University said
Although all schools have been affected by coronavirus closures and face uncertainties in the fall, the effect is acute on traditionally black schools and universities, which lack investment even in general years.
Most HBCUs rely more on enrollment and have smaller endowments than other universities. Some had financial problems before the coronavirus, leaving experts wondering how many campuses they would have if the pandemic caused a prolonged drop in enrollment.
HBCU faces a complicated test: historically, black schools are fighting for their survival and reopening amid a coronavirus pandemic
And because academics have nowhere to go, some of those universities have returned to a full-time schedule on campus, while others are discussed between virtual learning and classroom study.
This can be complicated because black Americans face the COVID-19 mortality rate in the country, according to knowledge reported through the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Since October 13, donations from the Gates Foundation have been donated to several in the South: Florida A
Thermo Fisher Scientific laboratory appliance company donated $25 million in diagnostic tools and kits to HBCUs this month.
Contributors: Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, Safiya Charles and Byron Dobson, USA TODAY Network
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