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.

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, received a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for retention programs aimed at helping women and members of underrepresented groups in STEM degree programs. The grant will fund research opportunities that have been shown to be an effective way to engage students and keep their interest in STEM fields.

The University of Mississippi received a $250,000 donation from the Chi Omega sorority to establish a women’s health initiative at the university as an extension of the Student Health Center. Dr. Travis Yates, director of the Student Health Center, stated that “the gift could be used to help procure additional diagnostic equipment, expand our staff, or possibly enlist the services of a gynecologist.”

The University of Maryland, College Park received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of State for programs to support women’s leadership and gender inclusive policies in the Middle East and North Africa. The grant will support the university’s Women as Partners and Progress initiative which seeks to identify emerging women leaders and invite them to participate in workshops and seminars to increase their knowledge about gender roles and women’s rights in their particular country.