Call for Proposals: 2022 Anti-Racism Grants for U-M Faculty

March 7, 2022

Engaging Religious Audiences for Social Change

March 22, 2022

Published by annettez on March 11, 2022

Call for Applications: 2022 Anti-Racism Research Grants for Graduate Students

March 11, 2022

Applications due April 17

In support of the provost’s anti-racism initiative, and in partnership with the Rackham Graduate School and the Center for Racial Justice (CRJ) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, the National Center for Institutional Diversity’s Anti-Racism Collaborative (ARC) offers research grants that aim to support engagement in research projects focused on racism, racial equity, and racial justice while advancing graduate and professional student progress toward degree. Grants may provide support for a student’s own project extending from their faculty advisor’s research, or for a student’s independent scholarship supervised by a faculty mentor. A faculty support letter will be required as part of the funding application.

Projects should focus on topics and processes related to racism at structural, systemic, institutional, interpersonal and/or intrapersonal levels, which could cover a variety of domains, including, but not limited to:

Health, well-being, and social determinants of health
Education in formal and/or informal settings
Socioeconomic and occupational stratification and mobility
Environmental racism and social justice
Community development and infrastructure
Social movements and activism
Immigration experiences and policy
Social attitudes and responses to diversity
Criminal justice, policing, and the legal system
Racial justice in science, technology, engineering mathematics (STEM) and medicine
Race and racism in the fine arts

Eligibility

Currently enrolled graduate and professional students (doctoral and masters) in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Students must be enrolled in a University of Michigan (U-M) graduate or professional program during the time of the grant period. Prior grantees can re-apply for funds to support the same research project or for a different project; however, priority will be given to first time grantees.

Funding

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded during the 2022 summer term for the 1-year grant period.

Application Process

Candidates must submit the online application form and include the following documents by Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. ET:

100-word (or less) abstract of the project
Project narrative (no more than 5 pages), including:
- The nature of the research project and how the project is important to the applicants’ research goals
- The objectives and scope of the proposed project
  - How does the project illuminate and address issues of racism, racial inequality, and racial justice?
  - How might the research likely inform practice, public engagement, and action to advance anti-racist principles and organizing?
CV
U-M faculty advisor letter of support that includes information on how the project may forward the students’ progress toward degree
Proposed budget, including other sources of funding

Selection Criteria

Projects awarded will include a clear description of how the research will:

Address issues of racism, racial inequality, and racial justice in novel ways (e.g., theoretically and/or methodologically)
Advance the mission and priorities of the NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative
Inform practice, public engagement, policy, and/or action to advance anti-racist principles and organizing

Funding Decisions and Period

Funding decisions will be made in May 2022 with funds disbursed in June 2022. Funds must be used within one year of receipt. Any funds that are unused by the end of the grant period must be returned to the NCID.

Administration of Funds

The recipient is responsible for coordinating with NCID staff and their home department to arrange for good stewardship of the funds. Funds will be transferred to a specified project grant within the students’ home department. Note: recipients must adhere to any applicable policy and procedures established by their departments. All activities must be done in accordance with any COVID-related spending restrictions at the time of the project.

Budget Guidelines

Budget proposals may include:

Stipend for living expenses
Travel to research or action sites, supplies, and other expenses related to the research needs (no more than 50% of the budget should go towards travel)

Budget proposals should NOT include:

Travel expenses not directly related to research or scholarly activity
Hosting expenses not directly related to research or scholarly activity

Reporting Guidelines

Applicants who receive funding must agree to submit a two-page final report within 60 days of the end of the funding period (report template will be provided). Grant recipients will be expected to participate in Rackham/CRJ/NCID organized activities focused on disseminating information on their funded research project (e.g., give a talk based on a project at an Rackham/CRJ/NCID event, participate on a panel, lead informal coffee discussion, contribute to an NCID publication, etc.). Any changes in budget items or project period must first be approved by the NCID.

Inquiries

For additional information, please see the FAQs below or direct questions to [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

I was awarded this grant last year. Am I eligible to apply again to continue working on the same project? Can I apply for funding to work on a different project?

Current grantees can reapply for funding to continue on the same project or for a different project; however, priority will be given to first time grantees.

Are citations included as part of the five page project narrative?

If your narrative takes the full five pages, feel free to include your citations on subsequent pages.

Are students eligible to submit more than one project for consideration?

No, only one submitted application is allowed per student.

If a team of graduate students wish to submit a joint application, is that permissible and if so, how should the application be submitted?

Yes, a team may submit a joint application. The team may select one PI for the project and submit one proposal, or each team member may submit individual proposals for the project.

Does the faculty advisor support letter need to come from a students’ assigned department advisor or can it come from any faculty mentor?

Advising structures may vary depending on school/college/department, so the U-M faculty member best situated to write the letter could be an official department advisor or dissertation chair, for example. The faculty advisor support letter should come from a U-M faculty member who can speak to, among other things, how the project might forward progress toward your degree.

What are the options for submitting the faculty advisor letter of support?

Your faculty advisor may send the letter to you to upload in the system when you submit your other materials; or your faculty advisor may email the letter to [email protected] and we will attach it to the rest of your application materials.

How long do I have to use any awarded funding?

The funding decisions will be made in May 2022 and funds must be used within one year of receipt. Unused funds must be returned to NCID at the end of the grant period.