Stanford University shutting down 'Diversifying Academia' fellowship program

Stanford University is closing one of its most prominent diversity initiatives, marking another major shift away from DEI-based programming in higher education.

The Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence (DARE) fellowship will shut down at the end of 2025. The university plans to replace it with a new, restructured program that focuses on broader graduate student support.

The decision follows widespread DEI program rollbacks across American universities as institutions respond to both budget pressures and federal enforcement under the Trump administration’s anti-DEI directives. Stanford officials also cited the 2023 Supreme Court decision ending race-based affirmative action as a key factor in the program’s termination, according to a statement given to The Stanford Daily.

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DARE, founded in 2008, provided funding, mentoring, and research opportunities to doctoral candidates from backgrounds the university considered underrepresented in academia. Over nearly two decades, the program supported more than 370 students in fields ranging from engineering to the humanities. 

But according to internal communications reviewed by The Stanford Daily, administrators said maintaining the program under current legal and financial conditions was no longer feasible. Federal rules now prohibit schools from using race or identity as criteria for funding or recruitment, forcing Stanford to rethink programs built around those concepts.

The university confirmed that the final cohort’s fellowship period has been shortened from two years to one. A replacement initiative is expected to launch in fall 2026, offering a redesigned approach to graduate support that emphasizes academic performance and financial need rather than identity-based selection.

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The closure of DARE mirrors a growing trend nationwide as elite universities face scrutiny over diversity hiring, funding, and admissions practices. 

Stanford has not yet publicly announced the shutdown, though faculty and fellows were notified in May. The move signals what many see as the end of an era for identity-driven academic programs at one of the country’s most prestigious research universities.

Campus Reform will continue to monitor Stanford’s transition as it replaces DARE with a new model for graduate fellowships in the post-DEI landscape.