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.
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund a project entitled “New Approaches for Addressing Outdoor/Residual Malaria Transmission.” The researchers are attempting to develop an insect-repellent wristband that can be worn by people in Africa and other regions where malaria is common. The wristband would emit a scent that is odorless to humans but would repel insects.
Historically Black Dillard University in New Orleans received a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for programs to increase the number of undergraduate students engaged in biomedical research projects and to increase the number of students who pursue graduate degrees in the field. The grant is under the directions of Dr. Ruby Broadway, an associate professor of biology at Dillard. Dr. Broadway is a graduate of Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. She earned a master’s degree in molecular biology and a Ph.D. in developmental biochemistry from Atlanta University.
Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, received a $150,000 grant from Wells Fargo Corporation that will be used for scholarships for students from underrepresented minority groups who show leadership potential.
The University of Arkansas received a $75,000 grant from the Simmons First Foundation to establish the Early Access Academy that will offer a group of 7th and 8th grade minority students academic enrichment activities and mentoring by college students and academic professionals in an effort to better prepare them for college.
Hampton University, a historically Black educational institution in Virginia, received a five-year, $622,480 grant from the National Science Foundation to increase the number of women and students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science. The funds will be used for student scholarships. The grant program is under the direction of Chutima Boonthum, associate professor of computer science at Hampton University.
