Application Deadline: April 13, 2023 at 4 p.m.
Funding Period:  July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Contact: Shaila Mehra, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: shailamehra@vt.edu
Purpose
Departmental Diversity Grants support efforts to build an inclusive and equitable environment in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. The College recognizes that diversity invigorates and enlivens the exchange of ideas, broadens scholarship, and contributes to just engagement in all the world’s communities. We invite proposals for projects that meet two or more of the following criteria:
  • Advance scholarly, curricular, and/or public engagement projects that center the knowledges of historically marginalized groups
  • Engage multiple populations, including those that are historically underrepresented in higher education in the United States
  •  Increase access to opportunities and resources
  • Prioritize equity in decision-making, power-sharing, and resource distribution in their design and implementation
  • Help fulfill departmental or college diversity plan goals.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Funding for projects range from $2,500 to $10,000. Funds may be used only for expenses clearly and directly related and necessary to implementation of the proposed project. No faculty salary will be allowed. Applications with potential for additional funding outside the college will be given priority, as will applications in which the involved department or departments provide financial support. Funds will be available starting in the fall semester.
 
Eligibility
This program is open to all departments and schools within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Proposals may involve more than one department or school. Departments may submit more than one proposal in a funding cycle. Participation by faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students is encouraged, although faculty and staff should provide oversight for proposals to be implemented primarily by students.
 
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
An electronic copy of the application must be submitted as a single .DOC or .PDF file to Amanda Pester (apester@vt.edu). Deadline for receipt of all applications is April 13, 2023, at 4 pm.
If the applicant has not been awarded this grant before, they should contact Shaila Mehra to discuss their project prior to submitting the proposal.
 
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
A complete application will include, in the following order:
1. Project Description (limited to 3 single-spaced pages, including bibliographic references), which indicates how the project meets criteria of the grants program and addresses the following topics:
    A. Specific Aims
    B. Project Design
    C. Management Plan and Timeline
    D. Continuing Impact
2. Brief Biographical Sketches of Key Participants (4 pages maximum)
3. Project Budget (itemization needed for all expenses and confirmed sources of funding)
4. Brief endorsement letter signed by all chairs, heads, or directors of units involved in the project  
5. Appendices (if needed)
 
Review Process
All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee drawn from the College’s Diversity Committee. This selection committee will send a ranking of the proposals to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, who will make the final selections.
 
Reporting Requirements
Recipients will be expected to share the project and its outcome with the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences community. A final report including results of the project, how it made a difference within your department/unit in terms of supporting diversity and inclusion, and any recommendations you might have to extend your project’s goals to other units within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences or the university must be submitted to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences no later than June 30, 2024.