Editor’s note: This is part of a series of updates on campuswide diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that will continue throughout the year.
Several campus initiatives seeking to eliminate barriers to the academic, research and career success of students, faculty and staff are underway through a seed grant program led by the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Seed grants awarded to campus projects promoting diversity, equity, inclusion
Twenty-two campus initiatives seeking to eliminate barriers to the academic, research and career success of students, faculty and staff are underway through a seed grant program led by the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Five summer 2023 grant proposals and 17 others slated for the 2023–24 academic year received seed grant funding through the DEI Impact Grant program. The program stems from a recommendation by the IDEA Council, the campus body prioritizing recommendations in the Inclusion, Diversity and Excellence in Academics (IDEA) Plan.
At its essence, the grant program’s intent is to support and highlight new and existing efforts that operationalize and enhance the capacity of academic and administrative units to deepen progress on the campus’s five DEI goals inspired by the IDEA Plan, said Lynda Duran, program and assessment manager for the DEI Impact Grant program.
“We are excited to showcase the innovation and ideas percolating up from our administrative and academic units to support student, staff and faculty success, especially among members of historically minoritized groups,” Duran said. “We see so much potential to nourish the roots of existing and new DEI initiatives throughout campus, and the DEI Impact Grants are just one very tangible way we are able to do that.”
This year’s funded projects—most of which will support student academic success—run the gamut from a summer bridge program that will enable community college students to conduct biosciences research in faculty-led labs to an aerospace engineering program for students seeking to explore space-related research.
Grant proposals for summer programs are due in January and proposals for the academic year are due in February. A trained team of faculty and staff volunteers then evaluate submissions based on how well they align with the five DEI goals, on the rigor of expected outcomes and assessments, and on ongoing unit support for the proposed initiatives.
The grants enable academic and administrative units to “seed the soil for work they are ready to do” to support students, faculty and staff who have encountered barriers to academic, research and career success at CU Boulder, Duran said.
A full list of funded proposals and more information about submission deadlines and requirements can be found on the Impact Grants webpage.
Upcoming events
Navigating Mental Health and Blackness Workshop Series
July 27, Aug. 3 and Aug.10
Mobile Food Pantry
July 27 and Aug. 10
Ombuds Office Lunch and Learn with Peter Huang: “Disrupting Racism”
Aug. 22
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Sustaining our practice of inclusion
Campus efforts and investments to address pressing and painful inequities at CU Boulder are only a beginning. Creating a culture of belonging will take each member of our community practicing sustained personal work to truly embrace and support diverse perspectives and intersectional identities in our community.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano and other campus leaders urge every member of our community to join in learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism, and to work continuously together to address these challenges more actively and in ways that can help authentically transform our campus culture.
Campus resources
- CU Boulder Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Website: Find more information about the campus’s work to create and sustain a more inclusive campus community and explore the results of the 2021 Campus Culture Survey.
- Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS): Provides a focal point for Black community and culture at CU Boulder and a multipurpose space where scholars, students, artists, activists and allies come together to study Africa, African Americans and the African diaspora.
- Center for Asian Studies (CAS): Strives to be a space of community, curiosity and respectful engagement with Asia, views the area studies endeavor as a necessary yet distinct complement to disciplinary knowledge, and recognizes the historic and geographic centrality that Asia has and continues to play in the human venture.
- Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS): Promotes collaborative research focusing on local and global Indigenous knowledge and fosters projects that aspire to open conversations in Colorado and the world.
- Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL): Offers programs focused on creating inclusive classrooms and supports CU’s community of educators through free consultations, teaching resources, programs, seminars, workshops and other events.
- CU Boulder History Project: Seeks to share CU Boulder’s history based on intersectional perspectives to demonstrate our commitment to inclusive excellence and to deepen our institutional memory.
- Latin American and Latinx Studies Center (LALSC): Provides an institutional space for research, teaching and discussion on Latin America and Latinx/Latina/Latino studies.
- Research and Innovation Office (RIO): Offers resources focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in research and innovation.
- University Libraries: Provides a rich assortment of diverse reading materials and other resources, events and initiatives for students, faculty, staff, alumni and Colorado residents.
