Despite national budget cuts, IU McNair program receives grant

In the face of national budget cuts to the federally funded Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, the University Graduate School received a projected $1.1 million grant as part of the program, according to a press release.

The grant will allow the program, which encourages low-income, minority and first-generation college students to pursue doctoral studies, to continue its work into the coming semesters.

According to the McNair Scholars Program website, the Department of Education will cut $10 million in federal funding from the program this fall in order to further fund national high school math and science programs.

The Council for Opportunity in Education estimated that the funding cuts would result in the closure of about one-third of the McNair programs nationwide, according to the press release.

“Competition for the funding was extremely difficult this year. Maxine Watson, associate dean of the University Graduate School and director of the McNair program at IU-Bloomington, deserves full credit for writing the successful grant proposal,” University Graduate School Dean James Wimbush said in the press
release.

In the coming months, the University’s McNair program is looking to continue its work with IU students, as well as possibly partner with Ivy Tech Community College students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to the press release.

“I am thrilled that Indiana University Bloomington has been awarded this grant, which will make it possible for more deserving students to pursue their dream of earning a doctorate,” Wimbush said.

—Kirsten Clark