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Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, co-educational and historically black university located in Washington, D.C. It has a Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education status of RU/H: Research Universities, which signifies high research activity.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) affiliated businesses are encouraged by Howard to conduct their Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) activities at HNF. Student involvement is encouraged either through individual projects or partnerships with faculty and HNF corporate clients. This model of a “shared research lab facility” represents a cultural shift, especially for typically sheltered corporate research. Paradoxically, scarce and increasingly competitive research grants and high equipment costs are barriers that have been fostering this collaborative culture. Even so, hiccups remain. Despite being in operation for decades, the lab - just like many others around the country - is not yet self-sustaining.
Howard University intends to establish a culture of entrepreneurship throughout the university and considers OIE’s outreach an affirmation of on-going innovation and entrepreneurship advocacy within the university. However, uncertainty over the long-term prospect of several innovation and entrepreneurship programs suggests that Howard’s chances of reaching its innovation potential will be better enhanced by unequivocal, strong, and consistent support by the university president and his leadership team. The foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship are present; they now require a strong commitment by the president and his team.
Below is an enumeration of Howard University programs and initiatives that support the five buckets in the NACIE sponsored university commitment letter.
Howard University was one of eight institutions selected by '''''the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation''''' in a nationwide competition to receive a multi-million dollar grant as part of the '''''Kauffman Campuses Initiative''''' to develop an entrepreneurial climate across college campuses in America. The program seeks to transform the way entrepreneurship is taught and experienced so that any student, regardless of their field of study, will have the opportunity to participate.
'''The Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation Institute(ELI)''' (ELI) was thus created, with matching support from Howard University and other partners. ELI seeks to provide the skills, tools and orientation required for entrepreneurial development and success in the African-American and minority communities with particular emphasis on providing educational opportunities for all stakeholders. The ELI’s Executive Director is Ms. Johnetta Boseman Hardy, and she has oversight of the following initiatives:
*'''Entrepreneurship at Howard''' actively counsels and mentors students with ideas for new businesses, or seeking assistance in improving their business model
*Each month, the ELI Institute features a student start-up at Howard University
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li>Featured start-ups are ventures that are innovative, have participated in the bi-weekly '''''BlackMarketplace''''', or have had considerable growth in clientele, sales, or visibility on-campus or in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area</li>
</ul>
*'''Black Market Place''' showcases businesses owned by Howard students, alumni, faculty, and staff
*'''Entrepreneur of the Year''' is an ELI Institute award given to prominent and exceptional on-campus entrepreneurs. The award recognizes Howard students who have built impactful and worthwhile business ventures, excelled in academics, and exhibited a meaningful dedication to the community at-large through service.
*'''Annual Business Plan Competition[[#_edn1|'''[i]''']]''' is an ELI Institute co-sponsored business plan competition for Howard University students. The top 4 winners receive cash prizes. First place winner(s) receive $10,000, Second place winner(s) receive $6,500, Third place winner(s) receive $3,000, and lastly an Award for Special Presentation of $500*'''Concept 120[[#_edn2|'''[ii]''']]''' is a business plan contest held each semester that emphasizes the elevator pitch. Students develop their ideas and sales pitch as if they were in front of a potential investor or business client – the bulk of the contest depends on the contestants’ ability to sell an idea*'''The StartUp Scramble DC University Challenge[[#_edn3|'''[iii]''']]''' brings entrepreneurially-minded college students from DC universities together for a weekend-long event to build and launch sustainable ventures that address social issues affecting local communities*ELI Institute offers an array of academic programs for the students[[#_edn4|[iv]]]<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li>Undergraduate non-business majors can elect to minor in entrepreneurship.</li>
<li>Graduate students can elect to concentrate in entrepreneurship.</li>
</ul>
In addition to current students, ELI Institute contributes to the entrepreneurial success of many Howard University alums including Ike C. Nwaneri, one of the two co-founders of KEADWORKS LLC[[#_edn5|[v]]] and KOJAMI Inc[[#_edn6|[vi]]].
*Keadworks is a creative marketing and technology agency in the Washington DC Metro Area which has launched successful campaigns for various industry clients
*Kojami Inc. is a company spawned out of Keadworks LLC to provide the following electronic services:
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li>It is an events platform that has been widely adopted by event organizers, businesses and organizations especially in the Washington metro region</li>
<li>The platform allows both individual and corporate event organizers to create an event in 3 minutes or less and easily manage and track multiple elements of the event in one simple dashboard</li>
The ELI Institute also specializes in faculty training, and serves which enhance their role as repository for a wide range of internal and external research. Additionally, ELI Institute’s Lecture Series, Annual Conference on Entrepreneurship, and Fund for Academic Excellence spearheads innovation in teaching entrepreneurship, and documenting trends.
'''ELI Institute''' features two dedicated research directions for faculty[[#_edn7|[vii]]]:
In addition to the ELI Center, '''''The Research Administration Services[[#_edn8|'''[viii]''']]''''' facilitates and administers interdisciplinary research capacity growth and indirect cost recovery at Howard University. This includes integrated education and research strategies, professional development, and internal controls of sponsored activities
'''The Intellectual Property Center ''<u>'is the central technology transfer resource for Howard University Technology Transfer Functions</u>researchers, inventors and investors. While '''Howard University Trademarks'''works to promote, enhance and elevate the image of Howard University by authorizing the use of the university's name and logos on merchandise, Howard University requires that all individuals, organizations, departments and companies -both internal and external - obtain prior approval before using any Howard indicia.
*'''Nanotechnology - Industrial Lubricants''': Metal Forming Fluids with Dispersed Nanoparticles for Improved Lubrication, by Mosleh, Mohsen, Ph.D. et al
*More than 40 faculty members from multiple institutions with diverse backgrounds and disciplines work together in teams on the Center’s research programs
Howard University has also partnered with '''''the Center for Applied High Performance Computing''''' (CAHPC)[[#_edn12|[xii]]] on a project that applies data fusion to make supercomputing applications easy to use.
Howard University is also a participating member of '''the Power Systems Engineering Research Center''' (PSERC),[[#_edn13|[xiii]]] a university-industry collaboration focusing on research and education needs in the electric power industry.
*The Industrial Advisory Board (IAB), composed of PSERC industry members, meets twice per year with PSERC researchers and students to conduct Center business, and engage in discussions about the Center’s research and education activities
'''The Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science''' (GHUCCTS) is a private industry-backed cooperative between the two universities. '''''Bridgeline Digital, Inc'''''., developer of the award-winning iAPPS web experience management (WEM) platform and interactive technology solutions, launched a new comprehensive website developed to support medical research collaboration between Georgetown and Howard Universities: [http://www.georgetownhowardctsa.org/ http://www.georgetownhowardctsa.org/]. GHUCCTS seeks to advance public health by performing research that has positive impact on human health and well-being.
'''The Georgia Avenue, Development, Growth, and Enterprise Transformation Center''' (GADGET Center)[[#_edn14|[xiv]]] at '''''Howard University School of Business''''' is located on Georgia Avenue, and staffed by graduate students and counselors from the '''''DC SBDC at Howard University'''''. GADGET provides free consulting services to local businesses and will focus on growth and development of the commercial district adjacent to Howard University.
More broadly, '''the District of Columbia Small Business Development Center Network''' (DC SBDC), an outreach program of Howard University, has joined forces with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), other District of Columbia universities, and community organizations. This collaborative provides free management, technical assistance, and affordable training in all phases of business development to small businesses based in the District of Columbia[[#_edn15|[xv]]].
In addition to the above mentioned initiatives, Howard University also confers a '''Minor in Community Development[[#_edn16|'''[xvi]''']]''' which is an interdisciplinary program intended to provide students with the knowledge, tools, and practical experience to play a proactive role in community revitalization in cities throughout the world.
Howard University also plays an integral role in neighborhood revitalization initiatives. As an example, it partnered with the Washington, D.C., government, Fannie Mae, and other corporations to transform 45 abandoned, university-owned properties in a crime-ridden neighborhood into more than 300 housing units and $65 million in commercial development[[#_edn17|[xvii]]].
Additionally, in 2010[[#_edn18|[xviii]]] Howard University had a workforce totaling 6,934 full—and part—time employees (excluding students) of which approximately 28 percent (based on payroll disbursements) resided in the District of Columbia representing an annual payroll of $103.8 million. Howard University also made an estimated $94.5 million in non-payroll expenditures for goods and services to vendors and contractors located within the District. As previously indicated, Howard University undertakes capital projects that employ DC-based contractors and workers who reside in the City. Combined, payroll and non-payroll in 2010 within the District of Columbia totaled $198.3 million.
*Is innovation an integral part of Howard’s institutional culture?
*How does your institution leverage (or intend to leverage) geographic endowment?
*Are your innovation, entrepreneurship, and tech transfer programs integrated?
<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
<li>Why, or why not?</li>
</ul>
*Are there any unique successes (and or challenges) you may wish to highlight?
Howard University continues to outperform many HBCU universities in several critical categories and recognition. It is, for example, the only HBCU University classified as a RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity) by Carnegie’s Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
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Barron Harvey, PhD, Dean, Howard University School of Business
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<br/>Source: "The Innovative and Entrepreneurial University: Higher Education, Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Focus", Department of Commerce, October 2013.
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[[Category: Deep Dives]]