Morehouse College is set to play a transformative role in the future of artificial intelligence and advanced research after securing a major grant from the National Science Foundation as part of a $457 million national supercomputing initiative.
The Atlanta-based institution will house “Horizon,” a next-generation supercomputer that will become one of the most powerful academic systems in the Southeast. The project is part of the NSF’s Leadership-Class Computing Facility (LCCF), a large-scale effort aimed at expanding access to cutting-edge computational resources across the country.
To launch the initiative, Morehouse’s Center for Broadening Participation in Computing has received an initial $5 million award, with additional funding expected to support long-term operations. The Horizon system will significantly expand research capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence, climate modeling, machine learning, and biomedical science—fields that increasingly rely on high-performance computing to drive innovation.
The broader project is being led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin, with Morehouse serving as a key national partner. Beyond hosting the supercomputer, the college will act as a hub for training, education, and collaboration, particularly for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other underrepresented institutions.
“By hosting one of the Southeast’s most powerful academic supercomputers, we are providing HBCUs with unprecedented computational power to explore bold ideas,” said Dr. F. DuBois Bowman. The initiative is expected to open doors for students and faculty to engage in high-level research that was previously out of reach.
Dr. Kinnis Gosha, principal investigator of the grant, emphasized the broader impact, noting that the project will help strengthen research capacity across HBCUs and create new opportunities for students to enter competitive STEM fields.
In addition to research, Morehouse will lead several national programs tied to the initiative, including summer enrichment opportunities for middle and high school boys, a postbaccalaureate artificial intelligence program, and faculty accelerator workshops focused on research and grant development.
The investment arrives at a critical time, as diversity in the technology workforce remains limited. By expanding access to advanced tools and training, Morehouse aims to help close that gap while positioning itself as a leader in AI education and innovation.
As Horizon comes online, the college is poised to become a central force in shaping the next generation of scientists, technologists, and global problem-solvers.