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.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg received a five-year, $453,359 grant from the National Science Foundation to study methods to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities who earn degrees in STEM disciplines.
Professional golfer Tiger Woods has made the initial donation to launch the Sifford Fund at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Charlie Sifford, who died this past February, was the first African American on the PGA tour. The new scholarship fund will provide need-based scholarships to students who “demonstrate a passion for the game of golf and who are from populations underrepresented in the golf industry.”
Historically Black Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, received a $60,000 grant from the Capitol Broadcasting Company that will be used to upgrade equipment in the university’s mass communication and journalism program. The company will also provide professional development opportunities for university students and send company personal to campus for a visiting lecture series.
Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund scholarships in order to increase the number of women and minority students pursuing careers in engineering.
The University of Illinois, the University of California, San Diego, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are sharing at $3 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support doctoral students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM disciplines. The funds will be used for scholarships and also for mentoring programs, research opportunities, and professional development programs.
