study research in usa

Study and Research Opportunities in United States

Long and short-term academic programs are available in the United States across many universities and educational centers. International students and researchers may apply to BA, MA, Ph.D., and postdoctoral research programs in the United States. Moreover, summer schools and conferences are other excellent academic activities that make the United States an attractive destination for scholars and scientists. Many programs also come with fully-funded scholarships and fellowships as well as travel grants and financial aid, thus every student, researcher, and professor can always find a suitable program in the United States and apply.

Scholarships in the U.S.

• American University of Washington DC Scholarship for International Students
• University of South Alabama Scholarships
• USA College Rugby Scholarships 
• Organisation of American Studies Scholarships
• CharterUP National Scholarship for Immigrants and Refugees
• The Dream.US National Scholarships for High School and Community College Graduates
• Gates Millennium Scholars Program
• Immigrants Rising Scholarship Fund
• Julia Stasch-IIE Scholarship for Refugees
• Columbia University Scholarship for Displaced Students
• Mary Rosenblum Somit Scholarship
• Harvard University Scholarships for US Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens
• Fulbright Student Program
• Youth for Understanding USA Scholarships
• Mensa Education and Research Foundation U.S. Scholarships
• U.S Bank Student Scholarship

Fellowships in the U.S.

• AAAS Fellowships
• Franklin Fellows
• AAUW International Fellowships 
• USIEF Fellowships for U.S. Citizens
• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
• United States Institute of Peace Fellowships
• New America Fellows Program
• Renaissance Society of America Fellowships
• Code of America Community Fellowship 
• American Antiquarian Society Fellowships
• The Bibliographical Society of America Fellowships

Grants and Awards in the U.S.

• American Psychological Association Grants, Awards, Funding
• HHS TAGGS Government Grants
• U.S. Department of Education Grants
• American Library Association Grants
• American University, Washington, DC, Faculty Grants and Awards
• OPERA Grants and Awards
• National Endowment for the Arts Grants
• American Association of Immunologists Awards

Summer Programs in the U.S.

• American University Washington DC Summer Program
• Harvard Summer School
• Yale Summer School
• Newport-Mesa Unified School District Summer Program
• USNA Summer Seminar
• Stanford Summer Session 
• Summer Intensive Arabic Programs in the US Hunter
• Georgetown University Summer High School Programs
• Penn Summer for International Students
• USC Summer Program for High School Students

The U.S. as an academic destination

The U.S. is a home country to the most popular cities and spots we've seen in the movies. It is a country of unlimited opportunities, where the majority of people dream of appearing to strike their career and reach their dream life. The U.S. is also the magnet of international students. The best and the most popular educational institutions are located here and dictate the education system and approach to the rest of the world. 

This section of ARMACAD will guide you through the country's main studying opportunities, and many of the universities that might sound only like a dream for you might become your next academic year's reality. 

The number of international students in the country is rising rapidly. In the mid-1950s, there were about 35,000 international students in the country, while currently, this number is above 1,000,000 and still promises to increase. International students chase thousands of academic programs, and flexible education system in the top-ranked universities of the U.S. U.S. is so popular with its universities that universities occupy roughly half of the top 10 global universities' list. 

There are different types of higher educational institutions in the U.S.:

• Universities
• Community Colleges

Private non-profit U.S. universities

Liberal arts colleges, for-profit u.s. universities and colleges, universities in the u.s..

The Ivy League is enough to describe the structure and popularity of U.S. universities. The League contains 8 of the most prestigious and highly-ranked universities in the country, in particular: 

• Harvard University   (also the oldest one in the country, founded in 1636)
• Yale University
• Princeton University 
• Columbia University  
• Brown University  
• Dartmouth College 
• University of Pennsylvania 
• Cornell University 

Those and other public universities in the U.S. usually have the sponsorship of public-sector funding, which is implemented by the state government. Therefore, despite tuition fees might seem huge to you, consult with your accepted university admissions or another dedicated department for the education funding opportunities you might have. 

For international students, U.S. public university fees may be very expensive. However, compared to the fees of other higher educational institutions in the U.S., where education is one of the most affordable ones. Note that for in-state and international students, there are different rates. 

Community colleges

You might also meet community colleges under the title junior colleges. Those educational institutions are also state-funded. However, they do not offer a full range of academic degrees to students. Community colleges are often called two-year colleges as they usually provide undergraduate education: associate's degree. 

Community colleges are grouped under separate systems, the largest of which is California Community Colleges System (CCCS). Also, ARMACAD has previously discussed the difference between the colleges and universities , which might interest you. 

While pubic universities have lower fees, private ones are the most frequently chosen universities in the U.S. by international students. That's because more of them are included in the top international rankings. Therefore, they have a high demand from the perspective of students. 

Still, don't miss an opportunity to check for the scholarships, and don't skip the university just because its fee is not affordable. Many of the private universities' academic programs appear to be very inexpensive if the student manages to benefit from a scholarship. 

Liberal arts colleges are the type of university that traditionally were the most popular in the country and are focused on quality teaching, leading to students' individual development. Here, you can receive education on liberal arts and sciences, mostly on the undergraduate level. 

For-profit universities chase business goals. In parallel, they want to ensure students receive a high-quality education in exchange for the financial resources they pay for these educational institutions. Following the constant critique of such kinds of colleges, their enrollment has declined a bit. However, their role is still important, backed up by significant demand from the students. 

Student expenses in the U.S.

This section discusses U.S. tuition fees that are paid purely by the resources of students. Before you move on to the presented prices, here is a reminder to double-check both scholarships in this section and funding opportunities provided by your chosen university. 

You might find different tuitions for the same academic program in different universities, which does not necessarily mean that the quality is proportional to the quantity of education it provides. 

Usually, the tuition for the undergraduate academic year varies between 10,000-30,000 USD, and the fees for graduate programs are 15,000-55,000 USD in the U.S. As already mentioned, there may be higher rates for international students in public universities compared to the domestic ones. However, private universities have the same fee for everyone. 

Some of the most prestigious universities in the USA mentioned above might charge up to 50,000 USD for undergraduate and 120,000 USD for graduate studies. 

Not only tuition fees but also living costs are expensive in the U.S., especially if you live in large, popular American cities. Particularly, in metropolitan countries like New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, annual living costs may reach 18,000 USD a year. More affordable and smaller cities cost up to 12,000 USD a year.

Student visa to the U.S.

Getting a visa for the U.S. is a desirable event for many so that in many countries, people will congratulate you if you inform them you have been granted a visa to the U.S. Receiving a student visa is a more straightforward process. However, it's still complicated and time-consuming compared to visa procedures in other, mainly European countries.

The first different thing, you should apply significantly earlier than you will arrive in the U.S. The student visa is granted no earlier than 120 days before starting your studies, and you are allowed to travel to the country no earlier than 30 days before the courses start.

Each country has its different policies for applying for a U.S. visa. The majority, however, apply for an F-1 type of visa, which is the most popular non-immigrant visa for those who wish to conduct studies in the country.

Before you apply for the visa, make sure to have the university's acceptance letter, as it's the main proof of your goals in the country. After that, you will pay around 200$ to complete the second required step: registration with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. There is also a step for the interview in the American embassy of your country. 

More detailed information on how to receive a U.S. student visa is available at the U.S. Department of State - Student Visas .

We hope this section of ARMACAD will help you reach the places you always wanted to.

• PhD in USA – A Guide for 2020/21
• Finding a PhD

A PhD in USA takes approximately 5 – 6 years of full-time study and can cost between $12,000 – $45,000 per academic year. PhD programs in USA differ from that in the UK and Europe in that students must first take taught classes, coursework and exams before starting their research project.

Why Do a PhD in USA?

The United States has long had some of the most distinguished universities and advanced PhD programmes in the world. Combined with curriculum flexibility, rigorous teaching methods, vast funding opportunities, breathtaking campuses and significant career prospects, it’s no wonder that it is one of the most sought-after study destinations for research students.

In addition to comprehensive training standards, here are a few other reasons why a student may choose to undertake their PhD in the United States:

• Longer learning timeframes – A PhD in the US lasts longer than a PhD in the UK or Europe. This allows students to more confidently transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies; more commonly referred to as ‘graduate studies’ in the US. This gives you the opportunity to learn more about your subject, research methods and academic writing in general before starting your research project.
• World-class universities – It’s no secret that some of the most well-known higher education institutions that continue to dominate global rankings are based in the United States. Although many factors go into determining whether a position is right for you, a PhD at a high-ranking American university will undeniably have many benefits, from excellent learning standards to access to innovative equipment and deep expertise.
• International network – The US has long been a popular choice among PhD students around the world. As such, the US hosts a diverse and multicultural learning environment in which many research students will quickly feel at home.
• Opportunities – With over 4,000 universities in the US, we can safely say you will have plenty of opportunities to find the ideal combination of project, supervisor and university that works for you.

Universities in USA

Universities in the United States can be divided into two types: public universities and private universities.

Public universities are financed by the state in which they are based. Because of this, public universities charge less for students from within the state and more for students from outside the state, including international students.

Private universities are not financed by their state, but by private donors, research funds and tuition fees. For this reason, private universities generally charge higher tuition fees than public universities and require all students to pay the same amount, regardless of whether they come from out-of-state or abroad.

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 , eight of the top ten universities in the world are located in the United States. These are:

Method of Study

The main difference between a PhD in the US and a PhD in Europe lies in the program structure. Whereas a European PhD essentially consists of a single phase lasting three to four years , an American PhD consists of three different phases, each with its own time frame.

• Phase One – The first phase lasts approximately two years and focuses on building a basic foundation for the doctoral student. This phase consists largely of taught components such as lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions, in which the student learns more about theoretical concepts and research methods within their discipline.
• Phase Two – The second phase can be considered an assessment phase, which runs both periodically alongside and at the end of the first phase. Here, students complete coursework and take exams on the basis of the material they have covered of which they must pass in order to proceed to the third phase.
• Phase Three – The third phase lasts approximately three years and resembles the European PhD structure. During this period, the student undertakes an independent research project, including forming a research design, conducting experiments, writing a thesis (more commonly referred to in the USA as a dissertation) and sitting a viva exam.

Teaching Requirements

Besides structure, a key difference between a PhD program in the US and in Europe is the focus on teaching requirements. In the US, doctoral students are expected to lecture, lead tutorials, host laboratory sessions, mark coursework and provide office hours for undergraduate students. Although students studying in European will likely contribute to these at some point during their study, this would normally be on a voluntary basis and involve less time commitment.

Research Flexibility

Another difference is project flexibility. In Europe, students typically apply to a PhD project predetermined by a supervisor, and although there may be some scope to adapt the project, depending on the funding provider , it will usually be limited to how the project is carried out rather than what it is about. In the US, however, a student applies to become a doctoral candidate within a department rather than applying for a particular research project. This is because students are expected to decide on their thesis topic (also commonly referred to as a dissertation research topic) near the end of their first phase after they have developed a better understanding of their subject and know where their interests lie. Therefore, research students in the US generally have more flexibility and influence in the direction of their research than students in the United Kingdom or Europe.

PhD Admission Requirements in USA

PhD admission into US universities can be highly competitive, both because of the limited number of positions and the large number of annual applicants.

The eligibility requirements for a doctoral program in the USA can generally be divided into four sections:

• Grade Point Average (GPA) – in the US, a scoring system known as Grade Point Average is used to measure academic ability. A student’s GPA is calculated as a weighted score of the subjects they study during their undergraduate degree; an equivalent score is calculated by universities for international applicants. Although universities rarely set minimum GPA requirements for doctoral study, it’s worth being aware that a GPA of 3.0 is equivalent to a UK second class honours (2:1); the typical entry requirement for UK universities.
• Graduate Records Exam (GRE) – most universities will require you to take a series of examinations known as Graduate Records Exams, which are used to determine your suitability for graduate study. GREs will assess your analytical, reasoning and critical thinking skills as well as your depth of your subject.
• Student aptitude – in addition to academic ability, US universities also look for characteristics of a strong researcher. These include traits such as engaging in the subject in your own time, e.g. by attending talks and conferences, demonstrating a high degree of independence and enthusiasm, and a general passion for your subject.
• English Language Proficiency – international students whose first language is not English must sit language exams such as IELTS or TOELF to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

International students will also require a F1 student visa in order to study in the US, however, you would typically apply for this after you have secured a place into a doctorate program.

How to Apply for PhD in USA

When applying for a PhD position at a graduate school, the application process will differ between universities, however, they will all typically ask for the following:

• Academic CV – a short document summarising your educational background and current level of experience .
• Personal statement – a document which outlines why you believe you are suitable for PhD study and your passion for the subject.
• Academic transcripts – a complete breakdown of the modules and their respective marks you have taken as part of your previous/current degree.
• GRE scores – a transcript of your Graduate Records Exam results.
• Research statement – a condensed version of a research proposal outlining your general research interests, if required.
• Recommendation letters – references from several academic referees who endorse your qualities as a person, your abilities as a student and your potential as a doctoral researcher.

Application Deadlines and Fees

Since PhD programs in the United States have taught components, they commence at the same time as all other taught degrees, and therefore share the same application deadlines and start dates. This corresponds to an application period that typically begins in August and ends in February. Admission decisions are typically made in April, with successful students starting in August/September.

When you apply to a graduate school, you will be expected to pay a fee for each doctorate application to cover the school’s administrative costs for processing your application. The fee varies from university to university, but typically ranges from $50 to $100 .

Funding your PhD in USA

It’s very common for a PhD student to receive financial aid in the form of a PhD scholarship; in fact, this will be the case for the vast majority of students in the US.

PhD funding can be ‘fully funded’ covering the student’s graduate program tuition fees, accommodation and living costs, or ‘partially funded’ covering the student’s tuition fee only in part or full.

Besides funding, a graduate student can take on an assistantship, such as a graduate teaching assistant or research assistant, in which they take on a part-time salaried position at the university alongside their studies.

Due to the international and collaborate nature of American universities, there are also a number of international scholarships available, such as the Fulbright Scholarship and the AAUW International Fellowship .

PhD Duration in USA

In the US, a PhD takes approximately 5 – 6 years to complete if studying full-time, and 8 – 10 years if studying part-time.

If you already have a Master’s degree, your first phase can be shortened by one year at the discretion of the university.

Cost of a PhD in USA

The cost of a PhD program in the US can vary considerably depending on the type of university, i.e. whether it’s a public or private university, the doctoral course, i.e. whether it’s in a STEM subject such as computer science, engineering or a non-STEM subject, and whether you are a home or international student.

In general, however, the typical annual tuition fee for a PhD in the US is between $12,000 and $45,000 per academic year.

As with any doctoral degree, additional costs may include travel for collaborations, bench fees, accommodation and living expenses.

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Internet use statistically associated with higher wellbeing, finds new global Oxford study

Links between internet adoption and wellbeing are likely to be positive, despite popular concerns to the contrary, according to a major new international study from researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute, part of the University of Oxford.

The study encompassed more than two million participants psychological wellbeing from 2006-2021 across 168 countries, in relation to internet use and psychological well-being across 33,792 different statistical models and subsets of data, 84.9% of associations between internet connectivity and wellbeing were positive and statistically significant. 

The study analysed data from two million individuals aged 15 to 99 in 168 countries, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa and found internet access and use was consistently associated with positive wellbeing.   

Assistant Professor Matti Vuorre, Tilburg University and Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute and Professor Andrew Przybylski, Oxford Internet Institute carried out the study to assess how technology relates to wellbeing in parts of the world that are rarely studied.

Professor Przybylski said: 'Whilst internet technologies and platforms and their potential psychological consequences remain debated, research to date has been inconclusive and of limited geographic and demographic scope. The overwhelming majority of studies have focused on the Global North and younger people thereby ignoring the fact that the penetration of the internet has been, and continues to be, a global phenomenon'. 

'We set out to address this gap by analysing how internet access, mobile internet access and active internet use might predict psychological wellbeing on a global level across the life stages. To our knowledge, no other research has directly grappled with these issues and addressed the worldwide scope of the debate.' 

The researchers studied eight indicators of well-being: life satisfaction, daily negative and positive experiences, two indices of social well-being, physical wellbeing, community wellbeing and experiences of purpose.   

Commenting on the findings, Professor Vuorre said, “We were surprised to find a positive correlation between well-being and internet use across the majority of the thousands of models we used for our analysis.”

Whilst the associations between internet access and use for the average country was very consistently positive, the researchers did find some variation by gender and wellbeing indicators: The researchers found that 4.9% of associations linking internet use and community well-being were negative, with most of those observed among young women aged 15-24yrs.

Whilst not identified by the researchers as a causal relation, the paper notes that this specific finding is consistent with previous reports of increased cyberbullying and more negative associations between social media use and depressive symptoms among young women. 

Adds Przybylski, 'Overall we found that average associations were consistent across internet adoption predictors and wellbeing outcomes, with those who had access to or actively used the internet reporting meaningfully greater wellbeing than those who did not'.

'We hope our findings bring some greater context to the screentime debate however further work is still needed in this important area.  We urge platform providers to share their detailed data on user behaviour with social scientists working in this field for transparent and independent scientific enquiry, to enable a more comprehensive understanding of internet technologies in our daily lives.' 

In the study, the researchers examined data from the Gallup World Poll, from 2,414,294 individuals from 168 countries, from 2006-2021.  The poll assessed well-being with face-to-face and phone surveys by local interviewers in the respondents’ native languages.  The researchers applied statistical modelling techniques to the data using wellbeing indicators to test the association between internet adoption and wellbeing outcomes. 

Watch the  American Psychological Association (APA) video  highlighting the key findings from the research.

Download the paper ‘ A multiverse analysis of the associations between internet use and well-being ’ published in the journal Technology, Mind and Behaviour, American Psychological Association.

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May 14, 2024

Understanding how exercise affects the body

At a glance.

• A study of endurance training in rats found molecular changes throughout the body that could help explain the beneficial effects of exercise on health.
• Large differences were seen between male and female rats, highlighting the need to include both women and men in exercise studies.

Exercise is one of the most beneficial activities that people can engage in. Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other health problems. It can even help people with many mental health conditions feel better.

But exactly how exercise exerts its positive effects hasn’t been well understood. And different people’s bodies can respond very differently to certain types of exercise, such as aerobic exercise or strength training.

Understanding how exercise impacts different organs at the molecular level could help health care providers better personalize exercise recommendations. It might also lead to drug therapies that could stimulate some of the beneficial effects of a workout for people who are physically unable to exercise.

To this end, researchers in the large, NIH-funded Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) have been studying how endurance exercise and strength training affect both people and animals. The team is examining gene activity, protein alterations, immune cell function, metabolite levels, and numerous other measures of cell and tissue function. The first results, from rat studies of endurance exercise, were published on May 2, 2024, in Nature and several related journals.

Both male and female rats underwent progressive exercise training on a treadmill over an 8-week period. By the end of training, male rats had increased their aerobic capacity by 18%, and females by 16%. Tissue samples were collected from 18 different organs, plus the blood, during the training period and two days after the final bout of exercise. This let the researchers study the longer-term adaptations of the body to exercise.

Changes in gene activity, immune cell function, metabolism, and other cellular processes were seen in all the tissues studied, including those not previously known to be affected by exercise. The types of changes differed from tissue to tissue.

Many of the observed changes hinted at how exercise might protect certain organs against disease. For example, in the small intestines, exercise decreased the activity of certain genes associated with inflammatory bowel disease and reduced signs of inflammation in the gut. In the liver, exercise boosted molecular changes associated with improved tissue health and regeneration.

Some of the effects differed substantially between male and female rats. For example, in male rats, the eight weeks of endurance training reduced the amount of a type of body fat called subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT). The same amount of exercise didn’t reduce the amount of scWAT in female rats. Instead, endurance exercise caused scWAT in female rats to alter its energy usage in ways that are beneficial to health. These and other results highlight the importance of including both women and men in exercise studies.

The researchers also compared gene activity changes in the rat studies with those from human samples taken from previous studies and found substantial overlap. They identified thousands of genes tied to human disease that were affected by endurance exercise. These analyses show how the MoTrPAC results from rats can be used to help guide future research in people.

“This is the first whole-organism map looking at the effects of training in multiple different organs,” says Dr. Steve Carr, a MoTrPAC investigator from the Broad Institute. “The resource produced will be enormously valuable, and has already produced many potentially novel biological insights for further exploration.”

Human trials are expected in the next few years. Information on participating can be found here .

—by Sharon Reynolds

Related Links

• Gut Microbes May Affect Motivation to Exercise
• Exercise-Induced Molecule Reduces Obesity in Mice
• Testing Ways to Encourage Exercise
• Hormone Links Exercise with Cognitive Benefits
• Exercise-Induced Protein May Reverse Age-Related Cognitive Decline
• Getting Active Later in Life Brings Benefits
• Get Active Together: Social Support Can Help Keep You Moving
• Personalized Exercise? How Biology Influences Fitness
• Maintain Your Muscle: Strength Training at Any Age
• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC)
• Participating in MoTrPAC

References:  Temporal dynamics of the multi-omic response to endurance exercise training. MoTrPAC Study Group; Lead Analysts; MoTrPAC Study Group. Nature . 2024 May;629(8010):174-183. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06877-w. Epub 2024 May 1. PMID: 38693412. Sexual dimorphism and the multi-omic response to exercise training in rat subcutaneous white adipose tissue. Many GM, Sanford JA, Sagendorf TJ, Hou Z, Nigro P, Whytock KL, Amar D, Caputo T, Gay NR, Gaul DA, Hirshman MF, Jimenez-Morales D, Lindholm ME, Muehlbauer MJ, Vamvini M, Bergman BC, Fernández FM, Goodyear LJ, Hevener AL, Ortlund EA, Sparks LM, Xia A, Adkins JN, Bodine SC, Newgard CB, Schenk S; MoTrPAC Study Group. Nat Metab . 2024 May 1. doi: 10.1038/s42255-023-00959-9. Online ahead of print. PMID: 38693320. The impact of exercise on gene regulation in association with complex trait genetics. Vetr NG, Gay NR; MoTrPAC Study Group; Montgomery SB. Nat Commun . 2024 May 1;15(1):3346. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45966-w. PMID: 38693125.

Funding:  NIH’s Office of the Director (OD), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and National Library of Medicine (NLM); Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF).

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The larger the nonprofit, the more likely it is run by a white man, says new Candid diversity report

Candid CEO Ann Mei Chang poses for a photo at the nonprofit’s headquarters on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in New York. Chang, CEO since 2021, believes her organization can help the philanthropic sector work more efficiently by making more data from donors and grantees available to the public.(AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)

Candid CEO Ann Mei Chang poses for a photo at the nonprofits’s headquarters on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in New York. Chang, CEO since 2021, believes her organization can help the philanthropic sector work more efficiently by making more data from donors and grantees available to the public. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie)

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NEW YORK (AP) — White men are most likely to lead the largest, best-funded nonprofits, while women of color tend to lead the organizations with the fewest financial resources, according to a study from the nonprofit data research organization Candid.

“ The State of Diversity in the U.S. Nonprofit Sector ” report released by Candid on Thursday is the largest demographic study of the nonprofit sector, based on diversity information provided by nearly 60,000 public charities.

According to the study, white CEOs lead 74% of organizations with more than $25 million in annual revenue, with white men heading 41% of those nonprofits, despite being only about 30% of the population. Women of color, who make up about 20% of the U.S. population, lead 14% of the organizations with more than $25 million in revenue and 28% of the smallest nonprofits — those with less than $50,000 in revenue.

The Candid report provides data for nonprofits who have complained for years that minority-led nonprofits attract fewer donations, government resources and sales, even after the racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd and promises from funders of all sizes seeking change. Many groups argue that when the leadership of a charity comes from the community it is serving, its needs are met more effectively. According to a report from the Ms. Foundation for Women and the consulting group Strength in Numbers, less than 1% of the $67 billion that foundations donated in 2017 was earmarked specifically for minority women and girls.

“Our mission is to use data to help make the whole sector more efficient, effective and equitable,” Candid CEO Ann Mei Chang told The Associated Press. “We think that data is a force for good and can help everybody trying to do good, to do good better.”

The report’s findings are based on data gathered from the Demographics via Candid initiative, where nonprofits voluntarily report the diversity numbers of their organizations. Cathleen Clerkin, Candid’s associate vice president of research, said authors of the report compared its findings to other sector-wide data and found them to be consistent.

Because the diversity information was self-reported, Clerkin said Candid studied whether nonprofits would be more likely to share their information because they were more diverse, but found that was not the case. What was more likely to determine whether a nonprofit reported its diversity information was how much they depended on outside donations, said Clerkin, adding that Candid hopes the report will encourage more charities to provide its organization’s information.

The report found that environmental and animal welfare groups were least likely to have diverse leadership, with 88% having a white CEO. Nearly three-quarters of religious nonprofits had white CEOs, according to the report.

Portia Allen-Kyle, chief of staff and interim head of external affairs at the racial justice nonprofit Color of Change, said the report’s findings were not surprising. “The backsliding of Black leadership and other underrepresented populations is exactly what we unfortunately expect to see in an era of attacks on the tools of Black power like affirmative action, like DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), et cetera,” she said. ”It’s a nonprofit space where disproportionately white leaders disproportionately receive resources from these white, ultrawealthy donors, while Black leaders from the most impacted communities are expected to often turn water into wine, using nothing but pennies on the dollar.”

Allen-Kyle said the fact that the report also finds that women of color are overrepresented as leaders of the smallest charities is also not a surprise. “With these small nonprofits, especially with advocacy, Black women are going to be doing this work regardless and they’re doing it on nothing and whether or not they get paid because they believe in it,” she said.

The report also found that Latinos were underrepresented as nonprofit CEOs in nearly every state.

“We have been talking about that for decades,” said Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, which supports Latino communities and nonprofits. “It’s the reason the Hispanic Federation was created in 1990 — to advocate for Latino-led, Latino-serving providers because we were not part of the conversation when decision-making around funding and support was happening.”

That has led to Hispanic Federation becoming one of the nation’s largest grantmakers for Latino nonprofits. However, even though its findings are not unexpected, the Candid study is still extraordinarily valuable, Miranda said.

“This study will validate our argument,” he said. “This is critically important for us to be able to say, ‘Here’s the proof.’ It’s proof for major donors that you need to do better when it comes to diversity within your organization. Your institution needs to have the cultural competency to understand the importance of investing in our organizations, the importance of getting to know these organizations. They know how to serve these communities.”

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .

'Surprisingly' high number of adults in the U.S. at risk of heart syndrome

Nearly 90% of adults over age 20 in the United States are at risk of developing heart disease , an alarming new study suggests. 

While the unexpectedly high number doesn't mean that the majority of adults in the U.S. have full-blown heart disease, it does indicate that many are at risk of developing the condition, even younger people.

Researchers identified people at high risk using a recently defined syndrome that takes into account the strong links between heart disease, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease, according to the research published Wednesday in JAMA.

The American Heart Association alerted doctors in October about cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome , a condition which affects major organs in the body, including the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. CKM is diagnosed in stages ranging from zero — no risk factors for heart disease — to 4 — people with diagnosed heart disease plus excess body fat, metabolic risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes, or kidney disease.

For the new study, researchers analyzed almost a decade’s worth of data from more than 10,000 people who were participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

“We absolutely were surprised that almost 90% of people met the criteria,” said study co-author Dr. Rahul Aggarwal, a cardiology fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston. “It was much higher than we anticipated in a database that included younger adults.”

Especially concerning was the finding that almost 50% of the NHANES participants were at stage 2 of CKM, meaning that they were at moderate risk because they had either high blood sugar, hypertension, high cholesterol or chronic kidney disease, Aggarwal said.

Just more than a quarter of the group — people listed as stage 1 — were at increased risk of developing heart disease because of being obese or overweight, having excess belly fat and fat around their organs, but didn't have specific symptoms.

The researchers found that 15% of the participants had advanced disease, a number that remained fairly constant between 2011 and 2020.  

“I think one of the biggest factors contributing to the fact that the percentage of people in advanced stages is not improving is obesity, which is very prevalent in the U.S.,” Aggarwal said, adding that 40% of people in America are obese. Another 32% are overweight based on body mass index calculations , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Carrying excess pounds increases the likelihood a person will have high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol, although some have metabolic risk factors even if they are at a healthy weight.

 Participants older than 65 were more likely to be at an advanced stage than people between 45 to 64. But being young wasn’t as protective as one might assume. Only 18% of people ages 20 through 44 were at stage zero. That is, they had no risk factors.  

The new findings show that health care providers need to be picking up on these conditions earlier “before they lead to downstream effects,” such as increased risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, Aggarwal said. “We need to diagnose earlier and be more aggressive at treating people.”

Latest news on heart health

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• High levels of a common B vitamin linked to heart disease.

Adopting lifestyle changes, such as improved diets and increased activity, can help protect against heart attack and stroke.The findings also show that “young adults, those younger than 45, are not as healthy as we thought they were,” Aggarwal said. 

Experts were also surprised by the high rates of CKM. 

“It is alarming that 90% of the population is at least stage 1 and only 10% have no risk factors,” said Dr. Sripal Bangalore, a professor of medicine and director of invasive and interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Health in New York City. 

He blames the epidemic of overweight and obesity for those numbers. 

“We have a lot of work to do to reduce the rates of overweight and obesity,” Bangalore said. “If we can do that, then hopefully we can reduce the number of people who progress to stage 2 and also move the needle down for higher stages.”

The inclusion of kidney disease in the risk assessments for cardiovascular disease makes a lot of sense, said Dr. Adriana Hung, a kidney specialist and epidemiologist and a professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. 

“Kidney disease magnifies cardiovascular disease,” she said. “Some studies show that a patient has as much as six times the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease if kidney disease is also present.”

The new, broader approach to heart disease is likely to help identify more people who are at risk, said Dr. Robert Rosenson, director of lipids and metabolism for the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. 

“The main message from this study should be that many common behaviors are leading to an accumulation of diseases over one’s lifetime, which will impact quality of life and survival,” he said. 

The large numbers of people with CKM in this study are related to overweight and obesity, insulin resistance and a diet that is high in fat and salt, Rosenson added. 

People need to realize that it’s not just the heart that is being harmed by unhealthy diets and lack of exercise, he said, but that lifestyle factors also have an effect on cognition.

Linda Carroll is a regular health contributor to NBC News. She is coauthor of "The Concussion Crisis: Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic" and "Out of the Clouds: The Unlikely Horseman and the Unwanted Colt Who Conquered the Sport of Kings." 

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• Published: 14 May 2024

2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years

• Jan Esper   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3919-014X 1 , 2 ,
• Max Torbenson   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2720-2238 1 &
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Including an exceptionally warm Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer 1 ,2 , 2023 has been reported as the hottest year on record 3-5 . Contextualizing recent anthropogenic warming against past natural variability is nontrivial, however, because the sparse 19 th century meteorological records tend to be too warm 6 . Here, we combine observed and reconstructed June-August (JJA) surface air temperatures to show that 2023 was the warmest NH extra-tropical summer over the past 2000 years exceeding the 95% confidence range of natural climate variability by more than half a degree Celsius. Comparison of the 2023 JJA warming against the coldest reconstructed summer in 536 CE reveals a maximum range of pre-Anthropocene-to-2023 temperatures of 3.93°C. Although 2023 is consistent with a greenhouse gases-induced warming trend 7 that is amplified by an unfolding El Niño event 8 , this extreme emphasizes the urgency to implement international agreements for carbon emission reduction.

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Esper, J., Torbenson, M. & Büntgen, U. 2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years. Nature (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07512-y

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Young children with persistent severe obesity could have half average life expectancy, study finds

Research finds four-year-old boy who remains severely obese into adulthood has life expectancy of 39

Children who are severely obese could have just half the average life expectancy if they don’t lose weight in adulthood, according to a study.

Research suggests that a severely obese four-year-old boy has a life expectancy of 39, half that of a boy the same age with a healthy weight in the UK.

Life expectancies give the further number of years a person can expect to live on average given the age they have attained.

The modelling, by Stradoo GmbH, a life sciences consultancy in Munich, used data from 50 existing clinical studies – with more than 10 million participants from across the world – on obesity and obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues.

The study measured severe obesity based on BMI Z-scores. These indicate how strongly an individual’s BMI deviates from the norm for their age and sex, with higher values representing higher weight.

The variables the study looked at included the age of obesity onset, duration, severity, and a measure of the irreversible risks.

For example, a four-year-old boy with an average height of 103cm and a healthy weight of about 16.5kg (2st 8lb) will have a BMI Z-score of 0.

By contrast, a boy with the same age and height who is 19.5kg would have a score of 2, while a boy at 22.7kg would be 3.5.

A child with a BMI Z-score of 2 would also see their life expectancy reduce from 80 to 65.

The research found that early onset of severe obesity in childhood increased the likelihood of developing related co-morbidities such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

For example, a four-year-old child with severe obesity who doesn’t lose weight had almost a third (27%) chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 25, and a 45% chance by 35.

Dr Urs Wiedemann, who presented the study, said the impact of childhood obesity on life expectancy is “profound” and it should be considered a “life-threatening disease”.

He said: “While it’s widely accepted that childhood obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, and that it can reduce life expectancy, evidence on the size of the impact is patchy.

“A better understanding of the precise magnitude of the long-term consequences and the factors that drive them could help inform prevention policies and approaches to treatment, as well as improve health and lengthen life.”

Wiedemann added: “It is clear that childhood obesity should be considered a life-threatening disease. It is vital that treatment isn’t put off until the development of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or other ‘warning signs’ but starts early.

“Early diagnosis should and can improve quality and length of life.”

A quarter of children aged 10 and 11 in England are living with obesity, and worldwide 159 million children are obese.

• Life expectancy

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