The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has announced the launch of a $1.5 billion program designed to build a more diverse scientific workforce by supporting early-career basic biomedical researchers, including physician-scientists.

Through the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program, HHMI plans to hire and support up to 150 faculty over 20 years who are strongly committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. Every other year, HHMI will appoint 30 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars to a five-year term, renewable once with evaluation. Each scholar will receive up to $8.6 million over 10 years, including full salary, benefits, a research budget, and scientific equipment. In addition, the program will provide mentorship training and professional development support to help advance the scholars’ scientific research and capacity to create an equitable and inclusive lab climate that values diversity.

Part of HHMI’s $2 billion commitment to advance racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in science, the program is named in honor of Freeman A. Hrabowski III, outgoing president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who has been a major force in increasing the number of scientists, engineers, and physicians from underrepresented backgrounds.

“For academic science to thrive in an increasingly diverse world, we need to attract and support scientists from a wide variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds,” said HHMI president Erin O’Shea. “Early-career faculty play a key role because they are the leaders of tomorrow. We’re excited to support talented early career scientists dedicated to a model of excellence in science that combines innovative scientific research and intentional, inclusive development of postdocs, students, and other lab members.”

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