Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is leading a $20 million research program funded by the American Heart Association that will be focused on advancing the understanding of the factors underlying the disproportionate impact of pregnancy complications and deaths among Black and Native American pregnant people and those living in rural areas. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity to transform maternal and infant health outcomes and equity, where all pregnant and birthing persons and their families thrive,” said Alan Tita, senior vice chair for research and innovation in the university’s department of obstetrics and gynecology, associate dean for Global and Women’s Health at the UAB School of Medicine, and director of the university’s Center for Women’s Reproductive Health. “We applaud the American Heart Association for this huge investment in the health of mothers and infants.” Dr. Tita received his medical training in Cameroon. He holds a master of public health degree from the University of Leeds in England, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Historically Black Fayetteville State University received a $1.5 million grant from the state of North Carolina to support a one-of-a-kind pilot program at its School of Nursing to train approximately 20 sexual assault nurse examiners per semester, including the summer, for a total of 40 to 60 per year. At the current time, there are fewer than 100 sexual assault nurse examiners certified across the entire state. A SANE nurse certification requires a person to have been a nurse for at least two years, complete dozens of hours of training and clinical work, and then pass a written exam by the International Association of Forensic Nurses.
Clarkson University in New York has received a $96,000 grant from the National Center for Teacher Residencies to expand and improve its efforts to recruit and develop Black teachers for New York State public schools. The grant will support Clarkson’s Master of Arts in Teaching full-year residency program that supports Black teacher candidates with scholarships, mentoring, living stipends, affinity groups, emergency funds, and tutors.
Kennesaw State University in Georgia received a five-year, $$1,238,980 grant from the National Institute of Health to establish the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement with the goal of increasing diversity among students pursuing doctoral degrees in biomedical sciences. The department of molecular and cellular biology and the department of chemistry and biochemistry will support the program by providing participants with faculty mentors and laboratory experience. Most biomedical Ph.D. programs attract students from those disciplines.
The Libraries’ Special Collections division at the University of Southern Mississippi received a $135,828 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration. The grant will be used to support processing and digitization for existing collections significant to the history and culture of Mississippi. The papers of civil rights activists Raylawni Branch, Emilye Crosby, Sheila Michaels, and Sue Sojourner will be included in the project.
