Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.
Tennessee State University received a $2.3 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The five-year grant will support the establishment of a research center dedicated to applied maternal health disparities research. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maternal mortality rose from 861 for every 100,000 live births in 2020 to 1,205 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2021, a 40 percent overall increase. The grant program is under the direction of Wendelyn Inman, an associate professor of public health at the university.
Alverno College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Milwaukee, has been awarded a five-year, $1.24 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education. The funds will be used to train personnel from diverse backgrounds to serve children with disabilities. The grant will provide up to 24 scholarships to racially, ethnically, linguistically, and ability-diverse students per academic year that will substantially cover the costs of receiving a special education degree through Alverno’s special education teacher licensure programs.
Ursuline College, the liberal arts educational institution for women in Pepper Pike, Ohio, has been awarded a five-year, $2,248,276 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Specifically, the grant will fully fund a new retention management system as well as training and professional development opportunities to assist faculty and staff in promoting holistic, personal, and proactive advising. At the same time, the grant adds new staff positions to support student writing and the establishment of living-learning communities to promote a sense of belonging for resident and commuter students with similar academic interests. The grant will also fund an Office of New Programs and Partnerships to facilitate new learning opportunities and collaborations as well as expand the college’s portfolio of academic offerings.