On Aug. 12, 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced it had committed to supporting the efforts of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. to make COVID-19 testing available to all returning students, faculty and staff at the beginning of the fall semester.

Through an initiative called “The Just Project,” named after pioneering biologist Ernest Everett Just, Thermo Fisher planned to donate $15 million in diagnostic instruments, test kits and related supplies. The company will also provide technical assistance to HBCUs seeking to establish or expand their laboratories to provide regular on-campus COVID-19 testing throughout the 2020-21 school year.