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 California, Irvine received a $430,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a database on maternal and infant health. The database will track mothers and their newborns by a large number of variables in an attempt to identify risk factors that lead to health disparities later in life. The research is under the direction of Jennifer Kane, an assistant professor of sociology at the university. Dr. Kane holds a Ph.D. in sociology and demography from Pennsylvania State University.

The University of Connecticut received a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct research on possible new types of contraception that will not disrupt women’s hormonal systems. Such disruptions can lead to mental health problems, including depression.

The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, received a $300,000 grant from the Office on Violence Against Women of the U.S. Department of Justice. The university will establish a new Center for Prevention and Advocacy to expand confidential services to women who have been victims of sexual assault. The center will also provide prevention programs and training.