PRISE has matured from a targeted seed funding mechanism into a measurable partnership platform for research growth, faculty collaboration, student development and external funding competitiveness across Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University.
64 Collaborative Faculty Teams Supported across the broader program ecosystem $11.56M
Awarded from Joint PVAMU-Texas A&M Outcomes
From 2022 to 2024, PVAMU-Texas A&M teams submitted 6 joint proposals totaling approximately $12.38M and received 3 awards totaling $11.56M.
80+
Undergraduate and Graduate Students Supported Across Cohorts through joint research, thesis and dissertation development and conference engagement. 5-Year
Arc from Launch Model to Sustained Partnership Platform
Public program announcements show the program scaling from an initial $300,000 launch investment to sustained $520,000 annual investments in recent cohorts.
REFERENCE POINTS: The public record begins with the 2021 PVAMU launch announcement, continues through the 2023 $600,000 PRISE cohort announcement and is reinforced by the 2024 and 2025 $520,000 cohort announcements.
QUICK READ
NATIONAL CONTEXT
Advancing R2 HBCUs Toward R1 Excellence
The national higher education landscape is moving through a necessary period of research-capacity growth for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Howard University attaining R1 status created a new visible pathway for HBCUs with strong research momentum, while the Association of HBCU Research Institutions reflects a broader national push to strengthen infrastructure, collaboration and access to competitive research funding.
Prairie View A&M University stands at the forefront of this movement. Over the past seven years, under the leadership of Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Magesh T. Rajan, PVAMU has grown its research enterprise from less than $15 million in annual research expenditures to more than $50 million annually, achieving one of the two Carnegie R1 research activity benchmarks. The university’s next stage of growth will depend on sustaining research productivity while expanding doctoral education and strengthening the systems that support faculty success.
Within this national context, PRISE is more than a grant program. It is a practical model for institutionto-institution collaboration that helps faculty form durable research teams, develop preliminary data, pursue external funding and train students in high-impact research environments.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Panther Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence program is a joint initiative between Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University designed to strengthen collaborative research, enhance scholarly productivity and expand competitiveness for external funding.
Since its launch in 2021, with its first funded cohort beginning in 2022, PRISE has supported multidisciplinary collaborations that are producing measurable institutional and external impact. The program has moved from early proof of concept to a repeatable partnership model with documented public announcements, annual impact reports and a growing pipeline of faculty teams.
From 2022 to 2024, PVAMU-Texas A&M teams submitted 6 joint proposals totaling approximately $12.38M.
These efforts resulted in 3 awarded grants totaling $11.56M.
More than 80 undergraduate and graduate students were supported across cohorts.
Across the broader PRISE ecosystem, 64 collaborative faculty teams have been supported.
The program has generated hundreds of faculty-level proposals and strengthened institutional research capacity.
The evidence demonstrates that PRISE is a high-impact, high-return seed investment model. It accelerates research growth, enables external funding success and strengthens long-term institutional collaboration between two members of The Texas A&M University System.
1
PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND SCALE
PRISE brings together faculty investigators from PVAMU and Texas A&M across six strategic theme areas:
Community and Economic Resilience
Emerging Technologies and Innovation
Health and Quality of Life
National Security
Space Exploration
Sustainability and Environment
The program is highly competitive, with recent public announcements showing proposal volume exceeding available awards. In 2023, 39 proposals were reviewed for 15 awards. In 2024, 57 proposals were reviewed for 13 awards. In 2025, 55 proposals were reviewed for 13 awards. This sustained demand shows both faculty interest and the value of a structured pathway for cross-institutional research collaboration.
REFERENCE POINTS: The 2021 announcement described the original $300,000 model and 10 faculty research groups. The 2023 announcement documented a $600,000 cohort of 15 teams. The 2024 and 2025 announcements document sustained $520,000 annual investments supporting 13 teams in each cycle.
2
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS
PRISE-supported projects have advanced research across fields where interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Publicly documented project titles and internal report summaries show activity in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, environmental science, sustainability, ecology, coastal systems, behavioral health, mental health, agriculture and food systems.
Development of cyber-physical and AI-enabled systems for energy, power systems, healthcare and learning applications.
Innovations in water reuse, irrigation, soil sustainability and climate-responsive agriculture.
Foundational ecological, materials and space-related research supporting resilience and future-ready infrastructure.
Research focused on student learning, mental health, health equity and public well-being.
The public cohort announcements show the breadth of faculty work. Examples include electric power grid cybersecurity, produced-water reuse, AI-supported STEM learning, heat-health-housing research, precision agriculture, human trafficking response research, materials for space exploration and wastewater micro/nanoplastics removal. This breadth is central to the value of PRISE because it positions faculty teams to respond to complex national and global challenges that cannot be solved within a single discipline.
EXTERNAL FUNDING AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
PRISE has demonstrated outcomes in both direct PVAMU-Texas A&M collaboration and broader faculty-driven proposal activity. The model gives faculty teams time, structure and funding to generate preliminary data, strengthen cross-institutional relationships and move toward competitive external proposals.
Joint PVAMU-Texas A&M Outcomes
2022-2024
$12.38M
Total Requested through 6 Proposals
$11.56M
Total Awarded through 3 Grants
Broader Faculty Impact
2022-2024
$70.28M
Total Requested through 254 Proposals
$16.55M
Total Awarded through 43 Grants
These outcomes show PRISE functioning as a catalyst for research scaling. Even when seed funding is modest relative to major external awards, the program creates the conditions needed for faculty to build teams, produce early evidence and compete for larger opportunities.
REFERENCE POINTS: The 2021 launch article framed PRISE around competitiveness for external funding. The 2023 announcement, 2024 announcement and 2025 announcement each reinforce the expectation that selected teams will make progress and submit strong proposals to external funding agencies.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND STUDENT SUCCESS
PRISE has played a critical role in expanding access to high-impact research opportunities and strengthening pathways for emerging and high-potential talent. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate students have been supported across cohorts through joint projects, thesis and dissertation development and conference presentations.
Strengthened doctoral and advanced research pathways.
Expanded interdisciplinary research skills through faculty mentorship across institutions.
Built a broader, nationally competitive research workforce aligned with high-demand sectors.
Connected student development to institutional research growth rather than treating the two as separate goals.
Cross-institutional mentorship between PVAMU and Texas A&M is one of the program’s most important outcomes. It gives students access to broader research networks while helping faculty teams build the next generation of scholars, innovators and technical leaders.
5
BROADER IMPACT: SOCIETAL, ECONOMIC AND POLICY RELEVANCE
PRISE-supported research delivers meaningful impact beyond academia. The portfolio connects discovery to practical challenges in public health, resilience, food systems, climate adaptation, energy, national security and education.
Societal Impact
Improved public health outcomes, enhanced community resilience and stronger food safety and sustainability work.
Economic Impact
Expanded grant funding pipelines, workforce development and research activity in high-demand sectors.
Policy Relevance
Insights supporting climate adaptation, education, workforce policy and national priorities in AI, sustainability and health.
This broader impact matters because PRISE does not only produce projects. It helps build a repeatable environment where faculty scholarship can move toward public value, stronger external partnerships and measurable institutional outcomes.
6
INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION AND PARTNERSHIP VALUE
PRISE has strengthened collaboration between PVAMU and Texas A&M by establishing sustained research partnerships, increasing faculty competitiveness, enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and elevating PVAMU’s national research profile.
The program also demonstrates the practical value of The Texas A&M University System as an ecosystem. By connecting faculty across two land-grant universities, PRISE shows how aligned institutions can share expertise, build capacity and produce mutually beneficial outcomes.
For PVAMU, PRISE advances the institution’s R1 trajectory by increasing research activity, faculty readiness and external funding competitiveness.
For Texas A&M, PRISE expands collaborative leadership and connects faculty to high-impact applied research opportunities across communities and disciplines.
For the System, PRISE provides a replicable model for focused bilateral collaboration with measurable research, workforce and public-impact outcomes.
REFERENCE POINT: The 2025 five-year announcement positions PRISE as an established joint effort and lists program leads at both institutions, reinforcing the operational structure behind the partnership.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
PRISE is distinct because it combines deep institutional collaboration, targeted seed investment, a strong external funding pipeline and a scalable partnership model. It complements broader system initiatives while filling a focused role in advancing collaborative research between PVAMU and Texas A&M.
The program’s strongest strategic value is that it turns relationship-building into an accountable researchdevelopment process. Faculty teams are selected through competitive review, funded for defined work, connected across institutions and expected to move toward external funding opportunities.
The historical report record also matters. The archived PRISE and Panther RISE reports from 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 show continuity in how the program has been documented, evaluated and positioned as part of PVAMU’s larger research-growth strategy.
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION: Archived reports include the Panther RISE 2021 report, PRISE 2022 print report, 2023 PRISE Report and 2024 Panther RISE Impact Report.
8
THE CASE FOR CONTINUED INVESTMENT
The outcomes of PRISE clearly demonstrate strong return on investment, direct support of PVAMU’s R1 trajectory, expansion of Texas A&M’s collaborative leadership and development of a nationally competitive research pipeline.
Continued investment is justified because PRISE has shown faculty demand, documented cohort activity and measurable external funding outcomes. The public record also shows sustained proposal volume in recent years, including 57 proposals reviewed in 2024 and 55 proposals reviewed in 2025 for 13 awards each year.
Sustain momentum in faculty collaboration and external funding competitiveness.
Increase the scale and continuity of multidisciplinary research teams.
Strengthen student access to high-impact research training.
Support PVAMU’s movement toward full R1 classification thresholds.
Maintain a visible, system-aligned model of research partnership.
VISION FOR THE NEXT PHASE: PRISE 2.0
The next phase of PRISE should build from proof of concept into a more mature research partnership platform. Future growth can include larger and more competitive award structures, multi-year funding opportunities, stronger alignment with federal priorities and expanded industry and national laboratory partnerships.
Develop larger awards for teams with high external funding potential.
Pilot multi-year awards for projects that require longer data-collection windows.
Prioritize alignment with federal priorities in AI, CHIPS, climate, health, energy and national security.
Integrate innovation, commercialization and intellectual property pathways where appropriate.
Create stronger post-award tracking to measure proposals, publications, student outcomes, invention disclosures and follow-on collaborations.
A PRISE 2.0 model would preserve the original purpose of the program while giving the partnership the scale needed to compete for larger external opportunities and produce deeper institutional impact.
10
SUSTAINING MOMENTUM THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP CONTINUITY
The success of PRISE reflects strong faculty collaboration as well as thoughtful leadership and strategic alignment across The Texas A&M University System.
At an earlier stage in the program’s development, broader national partnership interest emerged through collaborative research initiatives. Following careful consideration, Texas A&M University System leadership, including the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor for Research, provided a three-year commitment to support and advance PRISE as a focused, high-impact partnership between PVAMU and Texas A&M University.
This commitment has proven both timely and effective. PRISE has matured into a high-performing model, delivering measurable outcomes in research growth, external funding and workforce development.
As the program reaches the third year of this commitment in 2026, the results demonstrate that continued investment will be critical to sustain momentum and fully realize the long-term strategic value of the partnership. PRISE is now at an inflection point where continued support can enable greater scale, stronger outcomes and a more visible national role for PVAMU and Texas A&M University.
PRISE
IMPACT REPORT
2021-2026
CLOSING STATEMENT
PRISE is not simply a seed funding program. It is a strategic engine of research growth, institutional transformation and societal impact.
The program is strengthening a high-capacity, nationally competitive research workforce by expanding access to collaborative, high-impact research environments across institutions.
Continued investment in PRISE is essential to sustain momentum, scale impact and advance the shared mission of Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University.
APPENDIX A: SOURCE REFERENCE MAP
The following sources were used as reference points in the updated report narrative. Public webpages were reviewed for program milestones. Issuu report links are included as user-provided historical report references and are hyperlinked for continued documentation access.
SOURCE
A1. 2021 PVAMU Launch Announcement
A2. 2023 PVAMU and Texas A&M Announcement
A3. 2024 PVAMU and Texas A&M Announcement
A4. 2025 PVAMU and Texas A&M Announcement
A5. 2024 Panther RISE Impact Report
A6. PRISE 2022 Print Report
A7. Panther RISE 2021 Report
A8. 2023 PRISE Report
REFERENCE POINT USED IN THE REPORT LINK
Launch context; $300,000 initial investment; 10 faculty research groups; triad model; expectation to pursue external funding.
Third cohort; $600,000 awarded to 15 teams; 39 proposals reviewed; $40,000 per team; six strategic research themes.
Fourth year; $520,000 awarded to 13 teams; 57 proposals reviewed; $40,000 per selected proposal.
Fifth year; $520,000 awarded to 13 collaborative teams; 55 proposals reviewed; program leads listed for both institutions.
Historical impact-report reference for the 2024 report cycle and program documentation trail.
Historical impact-report reference for early PRISE documentation and cohort development.
Historical program reference for the early Panther RISE narrative and launch-era documentation.
Historical impact-report reference for 2023 cohort progress and program reporting.
The cohort table in this updated Word report aligns the public announcements with the cumulative 64-team figure used in the 2026 draft. The 2023 public announcement documents 15 teams, while the 2024 public announcement documents 13 teams. The 2026 cohort count remains based on the current draft report data provided for this update.
For final publication, the program office may want to confirm the final 2026 award count, the student-support total and the most current external funding totals before release.
