Grant proposals are due Friday, April 08, 2016 by 5pm. Submit your proposal by completing this webform.
The Office of Campus Climate is accepting proposals for projects that will contribute to and enhance UC Merced’s campus climate as a more equitable and inclusive place to study, research and work. This opportunity comes as part of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion’s response to the results of the 2013 UC Campus Climate Survey.
The UC Merced Campus Climate survey found that 78% of all respondents were comfortable or very comfortable with the climate for diversity in their department, work unit, academic unit, college or school, 22% were less than comfortable. Additionally, 28% of respondents believed that they had personally experienced exclusionary, intimidating, offensive or hostile conduct, with 11% of respondents indicating that the conduct interfered with their ability to work or learn at UC Merced.
All current UC Merced students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to submit a proposal for projects that will create and sustain a campus climate in which all UC Merced students, staff and faculty feel respected, included and valued. Successful proposals will address one or more findings from the 2013 UC Merced Campus Climate Survey report. For more information on the 2013 UC Merced Campus Climate Survey, please visit: http://campusclimate.ucop.edu/_common/files/pdf-climate/ucm-summary.pdf.
What topics should proposals address?
Successful proposals will include collaborative ideas for new and creative projects to help to make UC Merced a more equitable and inclusive campus community for students, staff and faculty. Successful proposals will address one or more findings from the 2013 UC Merced Campus Climate Survey report or other documented climate findings.
Goal of the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Projects
The main goal of this request for proposals is to inspire high impact, collaborative, experimental and sustainable ideas. Since the ideas are being proposed from community members themselves, there is a high probability that the efforts will be naturally integrated into the activities of teaching, research and public service. The grants provide modest resources, with a preference for projects with the greatest potential for sustainable success.
This pilot proposal is modeled after UC Berkeley’s Innovation Grants for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. UC Berkeley has a proven track record of more than six years funding projects such as:
- Institutional and Grant Alignment: Proposals will: (1) contribute to and enhance UC Merced’s campus climate as a more equitable and inclusive place to study, research and work and (2) will include one or more findings from the 2013 UC Merced Campus Climate Survey report or other documented climate findings.
- Innovation: The ways in which the proposed project is a new, creative and experimental approach to enhancing or addressing an area of campus climate.
- Impact: The expected difference(s) the project will make on the issues addressed, the audience(s) it will serve, and the number of people it will affect.
- Collaboration: How the project will bring together two or more campus entities, advance mutual goals and/or share knowledge.
- Project Leadership: The leadership, capacity and qualifications of the individual or group to implement the project.
- Sustainability: How likely is the project to be continued and incorporated or replicated by other organizations on campus.
