URM

URM stands for underrepresented minority. In the United States, the term is used in education, research funding, and workforce diversity initiatives to describe racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented relative to their share in the general population or to the representation of non-URM groups in a given context. The exact composition of groups labeled as URM varies by institution, program, and policy. Commonly cited groups include Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native American or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with multiracial individuals counted differently depending on the context.

In higher education, URMs are often the focus of admissions strategies, scholarship programs, and pipeline initiatives intended to increase access and success for students from these groups. URM status may also appear in faculty hiring, staff recruitment, and institutional reporting to measure progress toward diversity and inclusion goals. Data on URM representation typically come from national and institutional data sources such as IPEDS and related demographic surveys, but definitions can differ across campuses and programs, especially in fields where representation is uneven.

In research and funding contexts, organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and other agencies use URM metrics to monitor and promote diversity among applicants and grantees. This can influence program design, outreach, and mentoring initiatives aimed at underrepresented researchers.

Criticism of the term centers on its contextual and variable nature, potential oversimplification, and the risk of masking diversity within groups or overlooking intersectional identities. Some scholars advocate for more precise descriptors that reflect specific groups, fields, or circumstances, or for broader terms like diversity, equity, and inclusion that emphasize outcomes rather than labels.