The State of North Carolina offers the Minority Presence Fellowships as one mechanism to increase the diversity of the graduate student body engaged in doctoral study within the UNC system. Diversity is broadly defined, including consideration of

• Educational Preparation
• Life Experiences
• Factors that may contribute to diversity of presence
• Demonstrated ability and motivation to overcome disadvantage or discrimination
• Desire and ability to extend knowledge-based services to enhance the quality of life of all citizens
• Motivation and potential to make a positive contribution to the educational environment of the University

Recipients must be residents of North Carolina (for tuition purposes) and pursuing a doctoral degree. Awards provide a competitive stipend plus tuition and student health insurance.   Students selected for this award receive a stipend and health insurance coverage.  Minority awards are competitive on a campus-wide basis.  There is no application process for this award; eligible students are nominated by their department.   (http://gradschool.unc.edu/fellowships_and_funding/prospective.html#minority)

NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Awards for Minority Students 

These are individual NIH awards.  Minority students who have been admitted to doctoral programs may apply, with support of the department and advisors.  Consult with your faculty advisor for details.

NIH Minority Supplements to Research Grants 

Supplements are sometimes available to enable faculty holding NIH research grants to appoint a minority student for a research assistantship.  Supplements are sought on an individual basis as appropriate.  Consult with your faculty advisor for details.

Some Additional UNC Funding Sources

Student-Obtained Grants.  Our doctoral students sometime write their own grant proposals to obtain funding for their dissertation projects.  The majority of these are dissertation grants through which the student receives funding under the direction of his or her advisor as Principal Investigator for the grant.  There are a few sources of funding which award grants to the student as Principal Investigator.

Carolina Population Center:   Predoctoral awards for students interested in population/family planning issues.

Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Cancer Control Education Program:  Seeks to train pre- and post-doctoral fellows for academic careers in cancer prevention and control research.  Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the CCEP provides fellows with two to three years of training, including a core curriculum and research experience under the direction of a faculty preceptor.

Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Postdoctoral Fellowships in Basic Research.

Digestive Disease Epidemiology Training Program:  Designed to prepare individuals to assume leadership roles in academic digestive disease epidemiology teaching and research.  A diverse, experienced, multidisciplinary faculty has been assembled to provide trainees with expert guidance in epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, outcomes research and nutrition.   

Cecil G. Sheps Health Services Research Center Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellowships:  Funded by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.   Pre- and post-doctoral training opportunities to assist physicians, dentists, and other post-doctoral trainees, as well as pre-doctoral students, in gaining experience in applying research methods to the systematic analysis and evaluation of health care services and health policy issues.  Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States. 

Some Additional Non-UNC Funding Sources

Graduate Partnerships Program:  Offered through the Office of Intramural Training and Education, NIH, to support graduate student dissertation research.