Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
The Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State University in California and the State Center Community College District are sharing in a $100,000 grant from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The funds will be used to increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue degrees in engineering or construction management. Funds will be used for outreach efforts, internship opportunities, and to develop a student peer-mentor network.
The University of South Carolina recently hosted a summer institute for high school social studies teachers focusing on the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the Northeast and Midwest. The institute was funded in part by a $180,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The University of Virginia received a $236,850 grant from the Spencer Foundation for a study that will examine how the educational experiences of college students contribute to inequalities in academic skills and attitudes between different racial and ethnic groups. Specifically the study will look at how a student’s exposure to challenging classes, undergraduate research projects, and high faculty expectations impacts his or her learning experience.
The Pereleman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania received a grant totaling nearly $5 million for its Postdoctoral Opportunities in Research and Training (PENN-PORT) program from the National Institute for General Medical Sciences. The initiative funds 15 postdoctoral fellows at Penn who teach in local colleges and universities with a significant minority enrollment.
The George Washington University School of Nursing received a three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Health and Resources Services Administration for a program to increase the number and diversity of nursing professionals serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and in rural Virginia.
“This grant is extremely important in fulfilling our mission to educate a diverse nursing workforce,” said Jean Johnson, dean of the George Washington University School of Nursing. “Being able to develop and implement a program that provides a strong support system is what will make a major difference in helping our students be successful while responding to this critical need.”
