The Alumnae of Northwestern University awarded $134,000 to faculty and staff through grants dedicated to University projects for the 2025-26 school year, it announced Monday.
The women’s organization fundraises to support students and faculty through scholarships and project grants. A volunteer-based group, it has awarded over $10 million since its founding in 1916 through these different funding methods.
Of 145 faculty and staff applicants, the organization’s Grants Committee chose 29 projects to receive funding this year. The projects range from researching a genome silencing mechanism to training opera singers to perform an improvised opera. Generally, the grants are dedicated to projects such as conferences, research and exhibitions.
The awarded faculty and staff represent all undergraduate schools, in addition to the Feinberg School of Medicine, The Graduate School, the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics and the Block Museum of Art.
“The number and variety of proposals submitted this year — and the range of schools and administrative offices applying — made the selection process especially challenging due to the many worthy projects,” Grants Committee co-Chair Carol Zsolnay said in a news release.
Last year, the average grant was worth about $4,700, according to the organization’s website.
The Alumnae awarded almost double the amount it allocated through its annual grants in 2023.
“As committee members and alumnae, we marveled at the unique (breadth) of work being done on the University campuses that enhances learning for students,” Zsolnay said in the news release.
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