NC historically black college 1st to get NSF grant

RALEIGH -- A North Carolina university has become the first historically black college to receive National Science Foundation funding for a research center.

North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro will receive more than $18 million over the next five years to fund the Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic
Biomaterials.

The school was chosen from 143 submissions and will work with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Cincinnati, along with eight companies.

The center will work on research in biomedical engineering, including implants that could help children with birth defects and minimize invasive procedures.

Foundation data shows the number of blacks getting master's degrees in science and engineering grew from 4.5 percent in 1995 to 6.3 percent in 2004, the most recent data available.

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