Students/Education

Six Universities Receive STEM Inclusivity Grants

Six universities across the US received grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Driving Change initiative to promote inclusivity in STEM fields at research universities.

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Members of the Driving Change Learning Community and invited speakers gathered at HHMI’s headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on 27 April 2023.
Source: Keith Weller/Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Houston-based Rice University is among six universities to receive grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) Driving Change initiative, launched in 2019 to promote inclusivity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at research universities. Each grant, worth $2.5 million and dispersed over 5 years, is designed to connect research universities that are working to build inclusive learning environments for students in STEM.

“Rice has laid the groundwork for student success, and this funding will allow us to teach math courses in an accessible way that is inclusive to all students and promotes equity in STEM. Students who are underrepresented, first-generation college students, Pell grant recipients, women, and athletes should have the same opportunities for success as everyone else,” said Amy Dittmar, Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Rice University.

Other universities include:

  • The University of California, Los Angeles
  • Illinois State University
  • The University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Rice University
  • Rutgers University—Camden
  • The University of Vermont

“Each of this year’s grantee institutions has demonstrated their dedication to carrying out critical, intensive work for the betterment of the wider world of STEM and STEM education. Part of this work includes a thorough self-study to ensure that each institution identifies its own unique needs,” said Sarah Simmons, HHMI program lead for Driving Change.
Learn more about the Driving Change initiative here.