Texas Southern University Foundation

Texas Southern University foundation receives and administers private grants that enhance the research capabilities of different University programs. For the filing period, there were outstanding research results that were produced by tsu bullard center for environmental justice and tsu center for justice research. The bullard center at Texas Southern University is proposing the justice40 technical support project led by dr. robert d. bullard (director and distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy). Dr. bullard (who co-chairs with dr. beverly wright the hbcu- cbo gulf coast equity consortium, hbcu climate change consortium and national black environmental justice network) and his team members have been called upon over the decades to provide technical assistance and research support to numerous people of color, low income and disadvantaged communities in addressing environmental, climate, economic, energy and racial justice issues. Dr. bullard was appointed to the biden administration white house environmental justice advisory council (whejac) where he helped shape framing for the administration's justice40 initiative, developed by president biden in executive order 14008. Receipt of a private grant funding ensures a successful and sustainable justice40 technical support project-assisting disadvantaged communities develop "roadmaps- and model platforms for accessing justice40 "covered programs- and "covered investments" that many communities historically have been left out of in the past. The project will help identify and work toward directing much needed funding and infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities and to positively impact funding equity advocacy for years to come. The overall goal of the project is to build a strong and authentic social network infrastructure for the fair and just implementation of justice40 initiative and to ensure "covered programs- and "covered investments" flow to needs of disadvantaged communities. In addition, the center for justice research is a research center devoted to data-driven solutions for an equitable criminal justice system. The center provides a culturally responsive research approach to mass incarceration and criminal justice reform. Its mission is to reduce mass incarceration through targeted, culturally-responsive, evidence-supported solutions and strategic engagements. The center's researchers turn data into solutions. Houston, Texas, has the third largest criminal justice system in america, giving our researchers opportunities to investigate problems and solutions to the complexities of criminal justice reform. From initial contact to re-entry into society, the center for justice research advocates for reform in culturally sensitive and approachable solutions. Since 2018, the center has worked to change the culture of the criminal justice system with research and collaborative engagements, supporting community-based policies and partnering with stakeholders.

For the filing period, Texas Southern University foundation awarded 321,954 in scholarship awards to 357 students.

Texas Southern University foundation also receives and administers private grants that enhance community engagement and support health services. For the filing period, the most notable community engagement project resulted from a private foundation funding source focused on the covid-19 testing hubs. A private foundation funding focuses on the covid-19 testing hubs that have been independently established at hbcu institutions. The foundation's funding will: - enable the 8-10 testing hubs to access additional testing supplies, equipment, and personnel to support covid-19 testing of students, faculty and staff across the hbcu ecosystem for the 2020-2023 academic school years. This capacity is intended to assist these hbcus to safely open and remain open during the 2020-2021 academic year and enable the institutions to effectively plan for the 2021-2022 academic year, especially if there have not been advancements in therapeutics and vaccines. - enable the testing hubs to increase access to covid-19 testing for members of the communities where they are located. Support of covid-19 testing in these communities could help reduce the transmission rates in these communities. - enable collaboration across the network of hbcu institutions on best practices to open and remain open during this global pandemic. Funding might also facilitate communication and coordination on a variety of efforts including covid-related research, communication, and contact tracing. This investment will provide instrumentation, equipment, test kits, technical assistance and training to enable the analysis of approximately 550,000 tests across the hbcu ecosystem. The foundation will independently fund each of the hub institutions equally to further enable them to test students, faculty, staff and members of their communities.

The foundation's purpose is to aid in the advancement of Texas Southern University's objectives and purposes.