(WEAA) — Morgan State University has been awarded nearly $9 million in federal funding to advance research in microelectronics and biomedical science, part of a broader $58 million federal investment in Maryland announced by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks.
The university will receive $3.4 million to enhance its Center for Education and Research in Microelectronics and $5.5 million to construct and equip a new Molecular Biology Research Laboratory. Both awards come through the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the fiscal year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.
The microelectronics funding will support new equipment and specialized training in semiconductor design and manufacturing at the Center, located in the Mitchell Engineering Building. The investment complements plans for a 4,000-square-foot clean room facility where Morgan researchers and students will conduct hands-on work with next-generation microchips alongside partners including Johns Hopkins University and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
The $5.5 million molecular biology lab will expand Morgan's capacity to study virology, bacteriology and immunology, and will support several of the university's biomedical research initiatives focused on addressing health disparities in urban communities.
"Federal investment in public research universities, like Morgan, is essential to cultivating the next generation of scientific discovery and innovation, because they empower institutions of higher learning to harness the intellectual capacity of emerging scholars, researchers and innovators whose work will shape the future of our nation and the world," said Willie E. May, Ph.D., vice president for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University. "Morgan is proud to serve as a valued partner in this capacity and will continue to advance impactful, issues-driven research that addresses pressing technological and health challenges—work that not only strengthens the communities we serve here in Baltimore but also contributes meaningfully to the broader national and global good."
The funding moves Morgan closer to its goal of achieving Carnegie R1 classification, the highest research designation among U.S. universities.
