Greater Gift Establishes Scholarship to Increase Diversity in Research Leadership

Greater Gift has announced a $50,000 scholarship to support a minority graduate student enrolled in Wake Forest University’s newly launched Master’s in Clinical Research Management Program. The scholarship is named in honor of Mary Hofmann Murphy, a Winston-Salem native and clinical research participant. The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Darius Ford of Raleigh, a student enrolled in the first cohort of students in the program.

Greater Gift is a non-profit, founded in 2010, with a mission to increase awareness of clinical research, especially among underrepresented communities. Greater Gift’s goal is to further the engagement of underrepresented groups in clinical research by investing in future leaders in the industry. Executive Director Lilly Skok Bunch stated, “We will only have real equity in clinical research participation when the research industry is reflective of our community. This scholarship is a step in that direction.”

The scholarship was named for Mary Hofmann Murphy, a participant in a cancer research trial conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Health with investigators from Wake Forest School of Medicine and Indiana University. “Mary Hofmann Murphy’s journey at Wake Forest Baptist Health is a story of commitment and a desire to help others, including those she may never know, who will benefit from her role in clinical research,” said Jennifer Byrne, Founder and Chair of the Board of Greater Gift. “Mary’s commitment to overcoming hardship and her wish to impact social justice in our world live in the spirit of this scholarship.”

The Master’s in Clinical Research Management program was created to increase the number of professionals entering into the clinical research industry.

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