Overview
The Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requests proposals for the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative Grants at DePaul (DIIG@DePaul) Program. This program was developed in 2019 by Ruben Parra, Interim Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and is being continued for the 2022-23 academic year. The overall goal of this funding opportunity is to leverage the talents, passion, wisdom, and expertise of our diverse faculty to help DePaul University become the most welcoming and inclusive campus environment it can be. Accordingly, the DIIG@DePaul Program aims at empowering faculty to become active and engaging advocates for diversity in order to create a university community where all individuals feel truly appreciated and where their contributions are seriously considered and respected. As stated in part 2 of the University Grounded in Mission strategic plan
“We will nurture an inclusive and welcoming community in which every member is empowered to express themselves fully and supported to realize their full potential… to improve their sense of belonging and their overall experience at DePaul."
To date, 30 awards have been made through this program. A list of awarded grants can be found here.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the DIIG@DePaul is to encourage faculty to develop and implement initiatives that can help DePaul University realize in tangible ways the Grounded in Mission Strategic Priority 2:
Ensure a welcoming, engaging, diverse, and inclusive campus environment.
Accordingly, the DIIG@DePaul will fund projects that encourage our faculty to be actively or collectively involved in developing or implementing initiatives that can further support and advance DePaul University's academic mission and commitment for building a diverse and inclusive campus.
Eligibility
- Initiative Eligibility: Any initiative that contributes in measurable ways to the realization of the Grounded in Mission Strategic Priority 2.
- Principal Awardee Eligibility: The Principal Awardee must be a full-time faculty member (tenure-line or term) at DePaul University. The Principal Awardee would be responsible for managing the awarded grant and to submit a mandatory Grant Closure Report by no later than June 30th, of the fiscal year the award was granted. Applicants, however, are encouraged to include participation of additional current faculty, staff, and students from within and across colleges, schools or other academic units. Applications from campus affinity groups like those listed in the Office for Institutional Diversity and Equity, OIDE, are acceptable provided that the Principal Awardee is a full-time faculty member at DePaul University.
Please visit the following link to see a list of existing affinity groups at DePaul University:
https://offices.depaul.edu/diversity/advocacy/diversity-partners/Pages/default.aspx
Deadlines and Submissions
Applicants should download the application form and send the completed form via email to
DIIG@depaul.edu. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed on the second week of every month during the academic year, until the available funds are exhausted. Also, award recipients must submit a report on the outcomes of the grant initiative by no later than June 30th of the fiscal year the award was granted.
Funding Limit and Guidelines
The DIIG@DePaul Program will provide support of up to $2,000 per grant. Because we would like to fund as many initiative grants as possible across the university, we urge applicants to request the minimal amount of funds absolutely necessary for the successful outcomes of their initiatives. Additionally, applicants must limit their funding request for services or expendable materials that are not ordinarily provided by a department, college, or school unit or administrative office. In general, permitted expenses for DIIG@DePaul grant awards include, but are not limited to costs associated with putting on an event; supplies and materials required for an event or project; foods/refreshments; honoraria; payment for workshop facilitator or for seminar/lecture presenter; and payment for student assistants. We will examine the suitability of the funding request guided by applicable university policies like the University Quality of Instruction Guidelines regarding eligible and ineligible expenses.
The information on expenses can be found in the Proposal Preparation and Submission Guide here.
We also encourage applicants, whenever necessary, to consider other sources of sponsorship or matching funding from other DePaul University avenues to help complement the funding provided through DIIG@DePaul.
Grant Recipients Grant Closure Report
A final report must be submitted by the DIIG@DePaul Grant Principal Awardee no later than June 30th, of the fiscal year the award was granted. Failure to submit the final report will result in the faculty member being ineligible for future funding from the DIIG@DePaul Program. This report should delineate the activities conducted during the grant, describe the achievement of the project initiative outcomes as outlined in the proposal, and list financial expenditures (include copies of all invoices).
Example of Initiatives
Examples of Initiative Projects related to diversity and inclusion goals that the DIIG@DePaul Program will support include but are not limited to:
- Developing and providing workshops or training sessions on best practices and pedagogies for enhancing diversity and inclusion in the classroom and in the curriculum
- Developing Faculty Communities for Inclusive Teaching
- Developing Learning Communities about Diversity and Inclusion
- Developing and providing opportunities for conversations to take place among the DePaul community around diversity and inclusion
- Establishing reading clubs, reading circles, or book discussions around diversity and inclusion
- Hosting speakers for seminars, lectures or conferences that can help expand the understanding and or capacity surrounding diversity and inclusion for its participants
- Showcasing existing diversity and inclusion work or achievements
- Assessing, examining and improving campus climate around diversity and inclusion
- Examining and improving policies and procedures within an academic unit, college, school, or the university as a whole regarding diversity and inclusion
- Hosting learning to listen, and listen to act sessions around diversity and inclusion
- Facilitating courageous conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on their alignment with the Grounded in Mission Strategic Priority 2. Proposals that encourage collaboration among faculty, staff, and students within and across academic units will receive preference. Projects that incorporate an intersectional approach to diversity exploring the ways categories and identities intersect will also receive priority.
The committee will apply the following criteria:
- Extent to which diversity and inclusion is at the forefront of the initiative
- Potential positive impact on DePaul University body (student/faculty/staff) at large, specifically in regard to the Grounded in Mission Priority 2.
- Clearly defined plan, appropriate to the specific aim of the initiative
- Reasonable expected outcome and plan for evaluation
- Appropriate budget amount and detail