RTP’s STEM initiative reaches more organizations after successfully transitioning into a grantmaking program
[August 30, 2022 – RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC] The Research Triangle Park Charitable Fund, on behalf of over 300 companies that call RTP home, in partnership with the RTP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Collective, announce the second cohort for the STEM RTP Grant.
STEM RTP widens its reach by selecting 11 organizations for the competitive STEM grants, eight more than last year. These funds are awarded to programs working at the intersection of STEM and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Totaling $150,000, these grants are tiered into amounts of $25,000, $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000.
This year’s Champion grant is awarded to the Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the academic and professional success of young men of color.
“The Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation is thankful to the RTP DEI Collective for its investment of $25,000 in our critical work to expand our ecosystem, capacity, and mission,” says DeWarren Langley, Charles Hamilton Foundation Visionary & Executive Director. “We expect this award to facilitate opportunities to partner with corporations in RTP for sponsorship, volunteers, and work-based learning, internship and job placement.”
Other 2022/23 recipients include:
- North Carolina Central University Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) Institute, which develops emerging STEM leaders and supports the growth of North Carolina’s life science industry.
- Engineering World Health, a nonprofit with a global reach serving engineering students, healthcare professionals, and communities in need.
- WomenNC, an organization working to educate, empower, and advance gender equality in North Carolina by engaging in research, public policy formulation, and advocacy.
- Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership, North Carolina State University Foundation, which provides high-quality professional development for K-12 educators through STEM-focused industry and higher education partnerships.
- Empower ALL, which strives to build sustainable, educational equity and academic advancement for marginalized students.
- Kramden Institute, which provides technology tools and training to bridge the digital divide.
- Code the Dream, an impact training and free software development program for and by a diverse community of coders.
- ISLA, a nonprofit focused on building community and leadership through educational Spanish language and cultural immersion programs.
- Pupusas 4ED for SWIM, a nonprofit providing last-dollar scholarships to undocumented and DACAmented students pursuing higher education.
- and SOAR Outreach, which promotes health equity among underserved populations.
Code the Dream, Kramden Institute, and WomenNC were inaugural grantees from STEM RTP’s first year of grantmaking and repeat grantees for the 2022/23 grant cycle.
The RTP DEI Collective led the STEM RTP grant program process with the support of Fidelity Charitable and Research Triangle Park Charitable Fund.
“We are proud to distribute these funds to grantees who are creating awareness and opportunities for our future diverse STEM leaders,” said Tamara Terry, chair of the RTP DEI Collective and research survey scientist at RTI International. “It was humbling and inspiring to see so many organizations in the Triangle and North Carolina region doing impactful work that intersects DEI and STEM.”
Fidelity Charitable has volunteered staff to advise on the RTP Charitable Fund’s grantmaking program that will award competitive grants to existing programs across the region and North Carolina that have demonstrated efficacy and will use the grant funds to scale up those efforts.
With operational headquarters in RTP, Fidelity Charitable marks its 30th anniversary as an independent public charity and sponsor of the first national donor-advised fund program. As the nation’s largest grantmaker, it facilitated $51 billion in donor-recommended grants to 328,000 charities since its inception in 1991. Half of those dollars were granted in the past five years.
This summer, the Research Triangle Park Charitable Fund also welcomed two new board members: Nick Allen, chief program officer of United Way of the Greater Triangle and Lori O’Keefe, president & CEO of the Triangle Community Foundation.
The next request for grant applications will be released spring of 2023, continuing on an annual basis to support and impact organizations working in the space where DEI and STEM collide.
About Research Triangle Foundation
Since 1959, the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina has served Research Triangle Park in its mission to facilitate collaboration among our region’s industries, universities, and workforce, and create economic impact for the residents of North Carolina by attracting the world’s most innovative companies and top-tier talent to North Carolina. Situated centrally among Duke University, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RTP contains 7,000 acres, 60,000 employees, and over 300 companies and national labs, including Biogen, EPA, Cisco Systems, Credit Suisse, NIEHS, Fidelity Investments, IBM, BASF, United Therapeutics, and RTI International.
About the Research Triangle Park Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Collective
Founded in the fall of 2019, the RTP DEI Collective was created to unify and amplify RTP companies’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Led by Madame Chair Tamara Terry and the Research Triangle Foundation’s Strategic Engagement team, the Collective includes 40 companies and 21 regional allies committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As Research Triangle Park and the Triangle Region continue to grow, RTP leaders recognize the importance of amplifying DEI values to create a window of opportunities that better serve skilled talent Park companies are hiring, helping fuel workforce recruitment and retention.
Next-generation leaders seek to represent and value a diverse and equal workforce. The Collective is focused on helping create equitable and inclusive spaces for tomorrow’s leaders to thrive. As we break down silos across RTP companies to collaborate and synergize efforts, we all benefit from the resulting advancement in talent attraction, contributing to better business outcomes for all.
Media Contact for RTF
Jan Mactal
Director of Marketing & Communications
mactal@rtp.org