Stanford University has created a $4.5-million, four-year pilot program to promote diversity in its doctoral programs.

The project, called Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence, and known as DARE, will provide two-year fellowships to 36 doctoral candidates from groups that are typically underrepresented in academe. Examples include women in science or engineering programs; members of racial or ethnic minority groups; first-generation college students; lesbian, gay, and transgender students; and disabled students.

Each DARE fellow will work with a faculty mentor, participate in seminars on the academic profession, and receive up to $2,000 to design a project that will enhance campus diversity. The project also sets aside $1-million for one-year acting-assistant-professor appointments for four fellows upon completing their Ph.D.’s.

University officials hope the program will help prepare minority students for academic careers and create a more diverse pipeline of future faculty members.

“Truly great universities require a diverse community of scholars with a breadth of backgrounds and experiences,” said John W. Etchemendy, Stanford’s provost, in a written statement. “This program will provide us with innovative tools to address one of the most significant challenges facing not just Stanford but most of the nation’s colleges and universities in the 21st century.” —Paula Wasley