Grants and Gifts

• Virginia State University, the historically black educational institution in Petersburg, received a three-year, $989,747 grant from the National Science Foundation for a program aimed at improving science and mathematics test scores for minority students in the sixth and ninth grades.

Historically black Fort Valley State University in Georgia received a five-year, $564,000 grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The funds will be used for scholarships for students in fields related to the nuclear power industry.

• Johnson C. Smith University, the historically black educational institution in Charlotte, North Carolina, received a $5.7 million donation from the Duke Endowment. The donation is the largest in school history. The funds will be used to develop the Center for Applied Leadership and Community Development and the Metropolitan College for nontraditional college students.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham received a five-year, $4.4 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases. The money will fund a large-scale study of rheumatoid arthritis in African Americans.

• Southern University, the historically black educational institution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish on campus a center to conduct research on next-generation composite materials. The research will focus on developing stronger and lighter materials for aerospace, naval, and ground transportation systems.

Historically black Hampton University received a $74,055 grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to recruit and train poll workers for upcoming elections in Virginia.