WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Winston-Salem State University is one of the newest historically black colleges and universities to receive funding for its own research center. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded nearly $4 million to Winston-Salem State University to establish a Research Center of Excellence. Other HBCUs with a HUD Research Center of Excellence include North Carolina A&T State University, Tennessee State University, Howard University and Texas Southern University. According to a press release, the HBCU Research Centers of Excellence "conduct research projects on topics of strategic interest to HUD and produce research that provides evidence-based solutions to housing, community development, economic development, or built environment challenges in underserved communities." “Universities are anchors in their respective communities; they serve as economic drivers and thought leaders,” said Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “To build the knowledge and insights we need to drive housing policy, there’s no better place to look to than our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “Today, I’m proud to build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to HBCUs, providing funds to establish research centers that will inform our next generation of policy ideas.” With the donation, WSSU will "conduct and share research on housing and community development needs and solutions for under-resourced rural communities with historically marginalized populations." "This partnership with HUD is representative of the next step in our institution’s journey for us to grow and become the best version of who we are and what we aim to be in partnerships and relationships. Relationships like this will be central to our long-term success," said WSSU Chancellor Bonita Brown.