Contact: Dennis O'Shea, JHU Office of News and Information, 443-287-9960, dro@jhu.edu

BALTIMORE, April 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Johns Hopkins University will provide at least $5 million over the next five years in matching funds for departments seeking to improve faculty diversity, including hiring and retaining outstanding women and underrepresented minority scholars.

The initial funding for the Mosaic Initiative, as the pilot program will be called, comes from the offices of President William R. Brody and Provost Kristina M. Johnson. The university will also seek additional funding from outside sources.

"The initiative will support the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, including women and individuals of color," Johnson said in announcing the program to the university community. "Our aim is to create a mosaic of the best and the brightest faculty across all our schools and in all our disciplines, a mosaic including rising stars interested in becoming part of the intellectual life of this great institution."

Johnson said that she and Brody believe that recruiting a faculty of leading scholars that also reflects America's diversity is essential to accomplishing the university's mission of teaching, research, patient care and service.

The university has worked hard to recruit women and minority faculty and has made some good progress, she said. This academic year, Johns Hopkins has 206 more women and 45 more members of underrepresented minorities on its full-time faculty of 3,519 than it did four years ago.

Still, she said, women account for only 38 percent of full-time faculty and fewer than 20 percent of full professors. Underrepresented minorities account for only 6 percent of the full-time faculty and fewer than 4 percent of full professors.

"A university with our commitment to diversity must do more," Johnson said. "I am pleased that the university's deans and directors are enthusiastic in their support of the Mosaic Initiative. All of us believe that a diverse faculty is essential to Johns Hopkins' future success. All of us believe that a diverse faculty is crucial in attracting the best and brightest students to pursue their scholarly and professional goals at our university."

The Mosaic Initiative will be funded initially at a minimum of $1 million per year, to be increased as the project generates external support. Already committed to the effort is the university's Society of Black Alumni.

Departments may make proposals for up to $250,000, to be spent over three years on such items as salary, research support and laboratory equipment. Applications are being accepted immediately for funds to be spent in the academic year that starts July 1.