FSU Selected as NIH Path to Excellence and Innovation Cohort

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has selected Fayetteville State University (FSU) as one of its Path to Excellence and Innovation cohorts.

NIH is the largest biomedical research organization in the world, and its 27 institutes and centers annually obligate approximately $6 billion in contract awards to support the NIH mission. Path to Excellence and Innovation (PEI) is a high-level road map for getting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) a seat at the table for more NIH contract awards. The NIH Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM) established the PEI as a comprehensive program to accomplish the goals prescribed in Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13779, the White House's initiative to promote excellence and innovation at HBCUs.

In FY2021, the NIH-PEI initiative will begin offering more extensive acquisition training and technical assistance for NIH-PEI Cohorts such as FSU. The expanded program will foster partnerships between FSU and businesses. The goal of this next phase of the PEI Initiative is to assist the Small Business Program Office in empowering HBCUs such as FSU in securing 2% of NIH contracts.

Dr. Daryush ILA, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Transfer, said that FSU, along with our NIH Grants & Contracts partners, will endeavor to help NIH-Institutes and -Centers meet their 2% goals.