Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education

Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst received a grant of $219,757 from the National Science Foundation to fund a study of employment insecurity with a focus on racial and gender differences in job opportunities. The research is under the direction of Enobong Branch, an associate professor of sociology at the university. Dr. Branch is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in biology. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University at Albany of the State University of New York.

Oregon State University received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation for a program to improve the retention and graduation rates of women and minorities in STEM disciplines.

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced $50,000 grant awards to 50 organizations in an effort to promote entrepreneurial efforts among women. Three of the awards went to universities: Arizona State University, the University of Kansas, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

The University of San Diego received a five-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to boost the number of women faculty members in STEM disciplines. The funds will be used for recruitment, mentoring, training, and other support programs.