NU system seeks inclusive excellence grant proposals

The University of Nebraska system is inviting faculty and staff to submit proposals for the fall 2019 Inclusive Excellence Development Grants.

Four grants worth up to $3,000 each will be awarded to proposals that would advance the university’s diversity, access and inclusion work, particularly in the areas of campus climate, student recruitment and retention, and faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

Eligible proposals must include collaboration across groups, offices, departments or divisions. Only activities that are free and open to the university community will be funded. Funding may not be used for off-campus travel or salary support.

Written proposals are due to diversity@nebraska.edu by Nov. 22. Grant recipients will be announced on Dec. 20. More detailed information, including application requirements, is available https://nebraska.edu/-/media/projects/unca/offices-policies/diversity-office/pdf/2019-fall-inclusive-excellence—application-content.pdf?la=en here.

“Inclusive excellence requires us to be proactive and collaborative in building a university community that is welcoming and accessible for all,” Stancia Whitcomb Jenkins, associate to the president and assistant vice president for diversity, access and inclusion, said in a Tuesday letter to faculty and staff inviting proposals.

“We must be intentional about investing in this work and celebrating our successes.”

Spring 2019 Inclusive Excellence Development Grants were awarded to:

  • The “Check Your Mental Health” event at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which aims to increase understanding of mental health resources, awareness of stereotypes related to mental illness, and actions to improve well-being.
  • Racial literacy roundtables at UNL’s College of Education and Human Sciences, which engage UNL researchers and community experts in intentional, facilitated conversations around race and intersectionality.
  • The First-Gen Mavs Faculty/Staff Symposium at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, which will bring together faculty and staff to share best practices, raise awareness and increase retention efforts specifically for first-generation students at UNO.
  • A virtual reality-based diversity and inclusion training program developed by faculty at UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications in collaboration with the Staff Diversity and Inclusion office. The program provides immersive, interactive experiences in addressing difficult diversity, inclusion and equity issues through role-playing.

Faculty and staff may contact Jenkins at sjenkins@nebraska.edu with questions.