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.

Twenty programs across seven Indiana University campuses were awarded grants totaling $200,000 from the Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council. The individual awards range from $2,000 to $20,000 and support projects that improve public health, support women’s leadership initiatives, promote STEM disciplines, develop a culture of philanthropy, increase opportunities for diverse and underserved populations, and provide global experiences for students.

Georgia State University has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to research the evolution and spread of the growing male supremacist movement referred to as Incel, or “involuntary celibate.” The group members are typically White, heterosexual men who are unable to find a romantic or sexual partner and therefore harbor a self-described resentment toward women. In the past five years, Incel violence has been linked to 47 deaths. The new research project at Georgia State will provide a first-of-its-kind view into the movement. Researchers will identify the group’s activity and the role the internet plays in fomenting violence and hate.

Toni Calasanti, a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech, has received a grant from the National Institute on Aging to study how gender and sexual orientation affect caregiving. The study will examine how 60 same-sex and heterosexual spousal and partner caregivers draw upon life-learned skills and resources based on their gender. The project will also explore various caregiving challenges, such as maintaining hygiene, managing medications, and navigating behavioral changes; caregiver responses to those challenges; and coping strategies that have proved helpful.

Tami P. Sullivan, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, has received a $2.1 million grant from the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research to examine the impact of exposure to guns used to threaten, coerce, or intimidate female domestic violence victims. The research team will identify any trends that exist in the use of firearms against women and recognize subgroups of victims. They will also analyze the physical and behavioral health impact of firearm exposure on women and identify trends in days of lost work.

Clarkson University has received a $999,934 STEM Leadership, Equity, and Advancement of Faculty grant from the National Science Foundation to reduce bias associated with gender and issues related to race, ethnicity, county of origin, sexual orientation, and disability. Additionally, the project will support the development of inclusive leadership skills and professional advancement of women STEM faculty, and to implement long-term changes across the university to support those goals.