The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) regretfully announces the loss of two significant federal grants due to recent executive orders from the new administration. These policy changes have ended funding for two key programs supporting research and biomedical research training at UVI.
The impacted grants are the “Enabling Climate Smart Decisions for Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Caribbean” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), valued at $375,841, and the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) grant was a five-year from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), totaling $2.2 million.
The U-RISE Program aims to increase the number of students pursuing competitive doctoral degrees, leading to careers in biomedical research. It funds students studying Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Nursing, Physics, Social Science, or Marine Biology. The remaining U-RISE grant award balance is $1.4 million. The USDA grant, with a remaining balance of $148,317, has been instrumental in promoting climate-smart decision making in agriculture.
The USDA justified the grant termination by shifting focus to traditional agriculture, rural prosperity, and resource conservation, deprioritizing climate change and environmental justice programs. Similarly, the NIH determined that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-centered programs no longer align with their funding objectives, deeming them “non-scientific” and lacking sufficient return on investment.
“These are two areas that we remain committed to continuing and to address this loss of funding, UVI is exploring possible solutions. These grant terminations are not unique to UVI and a challenge that is being experienced across higher education,” said UVI President Dr. Safiya George. “We remain committed to offering quality education and support to ensure our students' success and preparation for the workforce. We will adjust to these challenges without compromising our mission, our programs and the benefits to our community."
The UVI community is encouraged contact the Office of the President (340) 693-1000 or the Office of the Provost (340) 693-1200 for more information as we navigate this challenge together.
