An associate professor of philosophy at the University of New Orleans has been awarded a three-year, $1.8 million grant to study entrepreneurship patterns in urban communities.

NOLA.com reports Chris Surprenant plans to work with academics from historically black colleges, including Dillard University, Jackson State, Southern University Law Center and Morehouse College, to conduct research focusing on black communities.

Surprenant says entrepreneurship matters because “it’s one of the best ways for people to escape poverty.”

UNO English and Foreign Languages chair Peter Schock says the John Templeton Foundation grant is the largest award the department has ever received.

Surprenant will also work with the Pelican Institute and Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture to collaborate with policy professionals who specialize in studying free markets and community.