Lilly Endowment gives Manchester $100,000 planning grant
Manchester University has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant is part of the endowment’s new initiative, Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities.
“We are deeply grateful for Lilly Endowment for its commitment to higher education and this opportunity,” said Manchester President Dave McFadden. “We aspire to serve more fully the needs of northeast Indiana and the state through new and innovative academic programs that meet the evolving needs of students and employers, and through partnerships that capitalize on our collective strengths.”
Lilly Endowment launched the initiative to give the leaders of Indiana’s 38 colleges and universities resources to think about the future of their institutions and accelerate strategic planning and implementation efforts to meet their key challenges and opportunities.
The Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $108.2 million for the initiative, which will have three phases: a planning phase, an implementation phase and an invitational phase for large-scale proposals. Manchester received the maximum amount possible in the planning phase for smaller colleges and universities.
In that first phase, funds may be used at the discretion of the institution’s president for consultants, staff time, conferences and seminars, travel to gather information and ideas, and preparation for a Phase 2 proposal and Phase 3 concept paper.
During the initiative, Lilly Endowment will also provide opportunities for college and university leaders to meet and discuss topics of common interest that could enrich their individual and collective efforts.
“We are encouraging Indiana’s higher education leaders to be bold and imaginative in developing creative and collaborative strategies to strengthen their institutions and further their educational missions more effectively,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “We are impressed with the dedication of Indiana’s higher education leaders to face head on their challenges and embrace their opportunities to build brighter futures for their students and colleges and universities.”
Manchester is transitioning from a primarily small, residential undergraduate institution in North Manchester to a regional university that serves traditional and adult students with teaching on two campuses and online. As it grows, the school’s 10-year vision is to be known for its liberal arts-infused programs in all areas, innovative health science education, and vibrant and transformative student experiences.
This transition began in 2011 when it launched a pharmacy program on a second campus in Fort Wayne. That effort received an enormous boost when Lilly Endowment awarded Manchester a $35 million grant for startup costs. Today, the pharmacy program is graduating exceptional pharmacists, and the University has launched a pioneering master's degree in pharmacogenomics (PGx).
It is now developing a master's degree in nutrition and nutrigenomics, which, like PGx, will be the first degree of its kind in the nation.
For the media
To schedule an interview with President Dave McFadden, please call 260-982-5050.
More information about the initiative: https://lillyendowment.org/news/9119/
About Manchester
With campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., Manchester University offers more than 70 areas of academic study to 1,400 students in undergraduate programs,a Master of Accountancy, a Master of Science in pharmacogenomics, a Master of Athletic Training a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a four-year dual degree in pharmacy and pharmacogenomics. Learn more about the private, northern Indiana school at www.manchester.edu.
Our mission
Manchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.
December 2019