The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has awarded the University of Richmond a $625K grant to support efforts to create an inclusive experience for students and enhance student belonging, according to a UR news release.

The HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 grant is a six-year program and will be led by biology professor Angie Hilliker, who will work with 10 additional UR faculty from across STEM disciplines to implement the project. The program team has three priorities:

• Discover barriers to student belonging that exist at UR;

• Test interventions to best address these barriers; and

• Support faculty with resources and programs to promote inclusivity.

“By listening to and learning from our own students, we aim to drive change from within our classrooms, research groups, and student-faculty organizations, while contributing to the national conversation about inclusive teaching,” said Dr. Hilliker.

Part of the grant will fund a study, led by faculty in UR’s psychology department, who have related expertise in belonging, prejudice and status-related disparities, culture/identity, and psychosocial adjustment among college students.

The UR team will collaborate within a learning community with 14 other universities. The grant allocates $475,000 to fund programs on campus and $150,000 to fund activities in collaboration with the other universities.