A new fellowship sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will only be accepting applications from non-White students.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the Fellowship for Exploring Research in Nutrition will only accept applications from students who are “black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC).” Those who participate in the fellowship will be paid thousands of dollars, get to live for free in on-campus housing, and will receive mentorship opportunities, which includes letters of recommendation.
“The field of nutrition is overwhelmingly comprised of White researchers,” says an advertisement for the fellowship. “Increased BIPOC representation in food policy research is critical for developing effective, equitable, comprehensive, and culturally competent policies that address nutrition-related health disparities.”
The fellowship has already received a formal complaint, which economist Mark Perry filed with Washington D.C.’s Office of Civil Rights, requesting that the office investigate UNC for “race-based discrimination.”
UNC, along with Harvard University, is currently awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court with regards to a case filed against the universities by Students for Fair Admissions (SFA). SFA has argued that both universities’ affirmative action policies are in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and also claims that UNC Chapel Hill is in violation of the 14th Amendment due to its status as a public university.
SFA has since issued a statement on UNC’s latest fellowship, pointing out that the existence of the program and its race-based application policy only further proves that the school is intent on discriminating against White students.
“It is indisputable this UNC student research program is racially exclusive and therefore is in violation of our nation’s civil rights laws,” said Edward Blum, SFA’s founder, in a statement.
If the Supreme Court ultimately rules in favor of SFA, it will set a landmark precedent determining that colleges and universities will no longer be allowed to factor in race when considering admissions.