Cultivating Inclusive Excellence in Research

The importance of diversity and inclusion for organizational success and achieving excellence has been widely noted—even proving benefits in the areas of innovation and productivity. The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Tuskegee University, longtime partners in addressing health disparities, health equity, and diversity in research, have received funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund to establish the Benjamin-Carver FIRST Scientists, an initiative to build a community of scientists that are committed to inclusive excellence. 


woman sitting at a laptop smiling while talking to a man holding an pen and paper

Benjamin-Carver FIRST inspires and challenges early-career faculty by supporting peer clusters with established scientists and community stakeholders to facilitate innovation and collaboration.

Scientists who participate in the Benjamin-Carver FIRST program should be in one of the following research areas: cancer, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neuroscience.

male scientist smiling with his arms crossed

Both UAB and Tuskegee are committed to supporting Benjamin-Carver Scientists so that they can become successful, independent researchers while driving inclusive excellence at both institutions.