The Penn Fontaine Fellowship Program
was established to honor the memory of Dr. William Fontaine, Professor of Philosophy and the first African-American
appointed to the Standing Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. From its inception, the endowment, known as the
“Fontaine Fellowship” has been used to advance the University’s goals related to diversity.
Originally restricted to students from groups “traditionally and historically underrepresented” in
higher education – specifically U.S. African American, Native American, and Hispanic students –
diversity is now more broadly defined, and may include, for example, first-generation college students who are
from low income families, or students whose backgrounds are most underrepresented in a specific discipline or field.
The
Penn Postdoctoral Fellowship for Academic Diversity Program is a competitive program whose goal is to increase
the diversity of the community of scholars devoted to academic research at both the University of Pennsylvania and
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Both organizations seek to attract promising researchers and
educators from different backgrounds, races, ethnic groups, and other diverse populations whose life experience,
research experience and employment background will contribute significantly to their academic missions. Fellowships
are available for postdoctoral training in all areas of study at either Penn or CHOP. Successful candidates will receive
mentored scholarly and research training as well as courses and workshops to enhance their research success skills
and prepare them for a faculty position in a major university.
The Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, formerly known as the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program supports four-year postdoctoral
research awards offered to historically disadvantaged physicians, dentists, and nurses who are committed to developing
careers in academic medicine and to serving as role models for students and faculty of similar background.
NCI-funded
supplements to promote diversity in health-related research are available to augment existing NCI grants
and support diversity trainees at every level, from high school through undergraduate, graduate, medical, and
postdoctoral trainees. A pre-recorded webinar
about NCI Diversity supplements is also available.
For faculty, the NCI also supports the
K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity as well as the
K22 Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity.