L’Oréal provides grant to Skin of Color Society to support research

Beauty giant L’Oréal USA has provided a 100,000 dollar research grant to the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) to support five early-career dermatologists and scientists in furthering their academic careers and developing ideas in clinical and translational research.

The organisation itself advocates for research and education on the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases in individuals with skin of colour.

Its mission, and the goal of L’Oréal’s new initiative, is to address the gaps that exist in scientific and clinical knowledge regarding causes and treatment of dermatological issues in skin of colour.

The SOCS Research Committee will review grant applications, make funding recommendations and monitor the grant programme.

The committee will then award five 20,000 dollar grants to eligible SOCS members, with priority given to applicants within eight years of post-graduate training who have not received previous funding.

Recipients will be announced at the 19th Annual SOCS Symposium in New Orleans on March 16.

In a release, Sanford Browne, president of Research & Innovation, North America, said: "We at L’Oréal are committed to helping bridge the gap for people of colour and the dermatological conditions that affect them, as they are often underrepresented in research and healthcare.

"Through the dedicated work of our Research & Innovation team, we have been able to advance science and solutions that benefit diverse populations for many years.

“We are proud to support the mission of the SOCS and dermatologists dedicated to improving the lives of those with skin of colour. We are optimistic about the impact of this funding on the field of dermatology and look forward to witnessing its results."