Minority Institutions of Higher Education Action Plan

To assist with FHWA's commitment to increasing the participation of HBCUs and other MIHEs in all phases of its Federal and Federal-aid programs, a MIHE Action Plan was created in May 2007.

Listed below are summaries of the strategies that FHWA plans to implement during FY 2008.

Strategy #1

• Establish a consultative panel consisting of FHWA leadership officials to provide guidance on strategies to increase the partnership role of HBCUs and other MIHEs in meeting FHWA strategic and technology goals.

Actions:1)FHWA Administrator to appoint agency leadership team members as advocates to two or three HBCUs (and other MIHEs) to increase their participation in FHWA's highway research, development, and technology contracts and grants through its programs (i.e., LTAP, STIPDG, EDI, OJT/SS, DBE/SS, BOWD, NSTI, DDETFP, TRAC, etc.) so that the agency's strategic and technology goals are met.; 2) Establish a MIHE Advisory Committee.

Planned Outcome:Provide on-going guidance to FHWA from MIHE leaders on strategies to increase the role of HBCUs and other MIHEs as partners in meeting its highway and technology goals.

Strategy #2

• Develop and utilize a MIHE Communication Tool Kit to establish broad and sustained outreach and dissemination to MIHEs.

Actions:1)Conduct a MIHE Profile Capability Study and create an online database of the full range of MIHE's research capacity, which correlates with FHWA mission areas. This initiative will also assist FHWA program offices in identifying MIHEs to execute agency goals and objectives in highway research, development, and technology contracts and grants. 2) Create a Standard Partnership Agreement, MIHE Brochure, Desk Reference, and How to Manual.

Planned Outcome: Increase awareness of FHWA's programs to the MIHE community by creating tools to facilitate the continued building of relationships between MIHEs, FHWA Programs Office and Division, and State Departments of Transportation.

Strategy #3

• Take proactive steps to involve more of the HBCUs and other MIHE faculty, staff and students in FHWA activities and use their involvement to build long-term relationships.

  1. FHWA will target personal follow up with HBCUs and other MIHEs. In particular, reach out to MIHEs where no relationship exists, to engage participation.

     Action: Establish participation goal of not less than 5 percent for research & technology funds to be awarded to HBCUs and other MIHEs.

  2. Competitive Assistance Program - FHWA developed the framework for this program, which limits competition to only HBCUs and other MIHEs. These colleges and universities compete among themselves for grants and cooperative agreements that are relevant to one or more of FHWA's six strategic goals.

     Action: Increase MIHEs participation and skill level for bidding on research and technology contracts, grants and cooperative agreements by re-engineering the CAP.

     Planned Outcome: Increased awareness and participation of HBCUs and other MIHEs in FHWA contracts and other activities so that an increase of their participation is shown in FHWA's highway research, development, and technology contracts and grants through its programs.