Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Grants

Ohio Wesleyan University is committed to funding the important work of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. To that end, faculty, staff, and students are welcome to propose projects that support OWU becoming an antiracist space.

Possible projects could include potential policy/program analysis, curricular changes/course development, small-scale survey work, creative projects, or community conversations. All of these options should lead to evidence-based actionable recommendations for change.

Student project awards up to $1,500 per project
Faculty and staff awards up to $5,000 per project

Examples of DEI Projects

• Community Conversations related to DEI work
• Creative Projects (Art installations, performance art, visual arts, murals)
• Institutional research (both qualitative and quantitative)
• Media campaigns
• Advocacy & activism projects
• Transportation, registration, lodging, and meals associated with a conference focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics that will directly support DEI projects on campus

Eligibility and Grant Guidelines

Eligibility

• Grants will be awarded to individuals or small teams of faculty, students, and staff. Specific to faculty & staff proposals, preference will be given to collaborative projects between faculty & staff.
• Projects proposed by faculty members should simultaneously address both the enhancement of the instructor’s future capabilities and the improvement of courses or programs through which those capabilities will be manifested and through which experiential learning and/or international opportunities are offered. Faculty must apply for a TEW Grant, if the proposed project would be eligible for TEW funding. 
• Students who are in good academic standing in their degree programs are eligible to apply -- there are no GPA requirements for submitting a proposal.   

Guidelines

• Projects may extend through at least a semester or summer. Therefore, a short trip to gather data or present research or creative work would qualify if the research or creative process took place over the course of a semester or summer.
• Grants will be awarded only for expenses associated with a DEI project.
• Research projects involving human subjects need Institution Review Board (IRB) approval; those involving animals require Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (AICUC) approval.
• Student projects should be supervised by a faculty or staff member. 
• Grants will not fund stipends and wages
• Grants cannot fund expenses associated with a credit-bearing semester away from campus.
• Grants may fund attendance at conferences.
• The Grant proposal should specify whether the student has sought and/or been granted other sources of funding or is applying for other funding, either internally or externally.
• Funds are limited. If there are multiple worthy proposals, efforts will be made to spread the grants broadly across students and departments to meet a wide variety of demands. 
• Those who receive a grant may either submit receipts for reimbursement after the fact or request an advance. An advance will only be done at the request of the recipient and usually takes one to two weeks to process. All expenses must be documented and accompanied by receipts; documentation and receipts must be submitted to Andrea Ryan in the Provost Office (University Hall 107). Those who receive a DEI grant will be required to book travel and accommodations through the University's designated travel services provider, Christopherson Travel, and will be advised on the process for doing so.
• Upon completion of the project, the grant recipient must submit to the Chief Diversity Officer and DEI Council (dei@owu.edu) the following:
  • 1.  A short, written reflection (650 words) on the experience that includes an explanation of how the experience enhanced and/or expanded your curricular and/or co-curricular goals noted in the Grant application and, more broadly, how the experience related to the broader effort of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. We would also welcome digital reflections in the form of short videos, photo essays, and/or websites.
  • 2.  An expense report that documents all of the expenditures for the experience accompanied by original receipts (email to amryan@owu.edu or drop off in the Provost Office - University Hall 107). 
• Student projects (including the final report) must be completed prior to graduation.
• Proposals submitted to fund projects or experiences that have already been completed are not normally funded.

Application Forms and Deadlines

Faculty & Staff Proposals

Faculty and Staff APPLICATION FORM

Due date for proposals: February 1, 2023

Decision date: Approximately 2-3 weeks after the deadline

Funding dates: Funding available for the 2022-2023 academic year

Student Proposals

Student Application Form

Due date for proposals: Rolling Deadline

Decision date: Approximately 2-3 weeks after the deadline

Funding dates: Proposals for funding during the 2022-2023 academic year should be submitted prior to April 15.

All applications are reviewed by the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion