NIH prize to recognize improvements in gender diversity now open for submissions

Starting today, U.S. academic institutions can apply for a new prize that will award universities that have demonstrably helped close gender gaps in academia. The prize, announced by the NIH earlier this summer, is an effort to address systemic barriers that women face in academia, including lack of representation among senior leadership at universities. Up to 10 undergraduate and graduate universities, both public and private, can apply to win as much as $50,000 in prizes. These institutions must provide measurable data to show that the steps they implemented improved gender diversity and equity at their respective institutions, including career advancement of underrepresented faculty. And because not all institutions have the same kind of resources, entrants will be judged in two pools, with a separate category for public or nonprofit universities that haven't received more than $6 million in NIH funding in recent years.