Ashok V. Kulkarni Ph.D. '76 and Ranjana A. Kulkarni, through the Kulkarni Foundation, established the Kulkarni Foundation Endowed Award for McNair Scholars in November 2016. The fund was amended in February 2021 to clarify that eligible students must be alumni of the McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement program either at the University of Maryland or elsewhere. Ashok and Ranjana Kulkarni embrace charity and the importance of giving back. This endowed fund supports underrepresented groups by providing tuition and mandatory fees for Ph.D students who have achieved candidacy in any program.