UNCF expands national asset investment program to Morgan State

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UNCF has announced the expansion of Project ACCLAIM – Accelerating Learning in Asset Investment Management – recently selecting Morgan State University to join the initiative.

Project ACCLAIM, a national effort designed to prepare students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for leadership in asset and investment management, was launched in summer 2024.

Made possible with a $10 million investment from Adage Capital Management and philanthropists Elizabeth and Phill Gross, the project will directly impact MSU students from the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management. 

Business school students will have the opportunity to manage $4 million in investment capital while acquiring practical experience, according to a release. 

“Participation in Project ACCLAIM represents a transformative opportunity for our students at the Graves School,” said Royce D. Burnett, dean of the Graves School. 

“Through the Student-Managed Investment Fund, our students will gain hands-on experience in asset management, portfolio analysis, and decision-making at a level rarely accessible at the undergraduate or graduate level. This initiative directly aligns with our mission to deliver rigorous, practice-based education while positioning our students for competitive careers in investment management and related financial services fields.”

Morgan’s selection to Project ACCLAIM is an extension of the Graves School’s Student-Managed Investment Fund, or SMIF, which launched in 2024. 

SMIF offers investment capital management opportunities coupled with securities research skills primarily for accounting and finance majors, according to school officials. 

The Graves School plans to leverage Project ACCLAIM to “cultivate the next generation of investment leaders, support institutional priorities and create long-term program sustainability,” a Morgan State release says.