Institutional Grants Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is committed to leading and supporting institutional programs and training grant proposals that aim to increase the representation of researchers, students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. The OVPRI is particularly invested in increasing the representation and success of those historically underrepresented in institutional research, higher education, and specific disciplines such as STEM-related fields.   

Examples of such grant mechanisms include the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (NIH), R25 Research Education programs (NIH), T32 NRSA institutional training grants (NIH), TRIO Programs (USDE), INCLUDES (NSF), ADVANCE (NSF), and National Research Traineeships (NSF). Please see the Funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page for additional opportunities.

Recognizing that these types of grant proposals require a significant amount of institutional information, we have compiled several documents regarding UO policy, services, and other resources that may be useful to your grant application. Research Development Services personnel are also available to help you plan and write training grants. If you are interested in applying for a grant to reduce obstacles to student success or to increase minoritized faculty recruitment, retention, research, and professional opportunities, please email Research Development Services for support.  

UO Resources and Boilerplate

Link to Boilerplate webpage with more DEI resources

Training Programs at UO

The following are the current, externally-funded training programs that work to increase the representation of trainees from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in STEM fields.

National Institutes of Health Funded Programs

  • Graduate Training in Genetics (T32). This predoctoral training program in genetics prepares scientists for productive careers at the forefront of modern genetics, whether in an academic, corporate, or governmental context. The program aims to (i) train students to become creative, rigorous, and experimentally skilled scientists with a deep and broad understanding of gene function and heredity; (ii) teach students to communicate science effectively to the lay public, professional colleagues, and students in the classroom; and (iii) prepare students to bring this expertise into the workforce by offering diverse opportunities to develop professional skills. The program has been running since 1977.
  • Developmental Biology Training Program (T32). This program trains graduate students to become rigorous, skilled, and innovative developmental biologists. The trainees develop abilities to lead research programs of their own, communicate discoveries to other scientists and the public, and teach future generations of scientists. The multi-faceted training equips students to become leading academic and non-academic scientists or achieve other influential research-related careers. This program has been running since 1989.
  • Graduate Training in Molecular Biology & Biophysics (T32). The goal of this program is to train rigorous, skilled, and innovative scientists, preparing them for productive careers at the forefront of modern molecular biology and biophysics, whether it be in an academic, corporate, or nonprofit context. The specific aims for this proposal are to 1) Provide excellent training in technical, operational, and professional skills for graduate students in molecular biology and biophysics. 2) Provide students the opportunity to learn about the different careers in biomedical research or related fields that are available to them and position them for entry into those fields. 3) Recruit a diverse group of trainees and create an inclusive and supportive environment in which they can thrive. This program has been running since 1979. (A T32 renewal application to NIH is pending; UO providing bridge funding until an award is made.)
  • Navigating Educational Trajectories in Neuroscience (R25). This cohort model is designed to accelerate pre- and postdoctoral trainees’ success by fostering community among peers and faculty at critical transition periods in their education and as they define and navigate their professional and academic goals. Grounded in a responsive, individualized mentorship, and community-building framework, the program aims to build critical skills and leadership capacity through collaborative mentoring experiences, formal and informal mentorship training, and new Graduate Education Modules to build skills needed by the changing neuroscience workforce. This program began in 2022.
  • Program to Increase Resilience and Enhance Persistence in Biomedical Sciences (R25). This Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program aims to address challenges in the recruitment, retention, and success along the biomedical training pathway for scholars from underrepresented backgrounds. By offering intentional community-building activities, individualized mentorship, productive research experiences, and academic and professional development the program enables the successful transition from undergraduate to graduate training among the cohort of scholars. This program began in 2023.

National Science Foundation Funded Programs

  • Increasing Native American Perspectives in Field and Experimental Linguistics (REU Site). This project aims to make STEM and higher education more accessible to and inclusive of American Indian/Alaska Native students through an undergraduate research experience that relates directly to a topic of particular interest to American Indian/Alaska Native communities - the revitalization and scientific study of Native languages. Students spend ten weeks in the summer at UO and benefit from instruction and hands-on research at the UO Linguistics Department’s Speech Perception and Production Lab and the Language Revitalization Lab, and gain an appreciation of cross-disciplinary research and how it can benefit society. This program began in 2021.
  • Think Globally and Act Locally in Building Research and Career Skills in Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science (REU Site). In this program, undergraduate students engage in research projects in chemistry, physics, and materials science in a ten-week session over the summer. In addition to conducting publishable research using state-of-the-art instrumentation, the students participate in research seminars, weekly research meetings, and social events. Weekly webinars with established scientists and their students from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East afford students a global environmental perspective. Workshops focused on career science communication, applying for fellowships, and responsible research conduct complement the research experience and prepare students for graduate school and careers in the chemical sciences. This program is in a no-cost extension and has been running since 1987.
  • Molecular Probes and Sensors for Complex Environments (NRT). This Research Traineeship program supports Master’s and PhD students by providing training in the scientific areas of molecular probes and sensors, technological development, and data analysis. The program prepares graduate students to enter a challenging, changing future with a training plan that combines market-aligned research and innovation training, inclusive leadership practices, and immersive team-led projects. The goal is to produce a cohort of scientists who are uniquely prepared to address societal needs in diverse and dynamic workforce environments. This program was founded in 2020 and is currently funded through August 2025.
  • Oregon Pathways to Industrial Research Careers: Diversifying STEM Research Talent with Community College, 4-Year, and Knight Campus Graduate Internship Scholarships (S-STEM). This Scholarships in Science Technology Engineering and Math program at UO contributes to the national need for well-educated scientists, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at UO, Umpqua Community College, Lane Community College and Central Oregon Community College. The program supports 64 unique individuals pursuing degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, and physics during their final year at community college, as transfer students attaining a bachelor’s degree at the UO, and then through the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program, a master’s degree program at UO that includes a 9-month paid internship. The project develops a model that establishes and enhances a cross-institutional culture of student mentorship to increase retention of low-income students in science while providing a trajectory for alumni to enter high-wage careers. The program was founded in 2022.