Institute for Diversity, Equity and Advocacy (IDEA) Multicultural Research Awards
The Institute for Equity, Diversity and Advocacy seeks to build community and enhance synergies among equity and diversity scholars and researchers on campus. In order to connect faculty with others who share their interests, IDEA is soliciting proposals for research that addresses issues related to our mission to transform the university by enhancing the visibility and advancing the productivity of an interdisciplinary group of faculty and community scholars whose expertise in equity, diversity, and underrepresented populations will lead to innovative scholarship that addresses urgent social issues. This initiative replaces the President's Faculty Multicultural Research Award (PFMRA), but continues to support the same objectives of retaining and advancing a diverse faculty.
The following criteria will be considered in evaluating proposals:
Proposals from untenured junior faculty will be given highest priority.
Proposals with a single principal Investigator are welcome. We also encourage proposals involving collaboration between senior and junior faculty or between faculty and graduate students.
Proposed research project is innovative, transformational and engaged with or focused on diverse communities in the United States. Projects that focus on populations outside the U.S. but that are comparative in scope and illuminate the circumstances of people of color in the United States, including immigrants from communities of color, are also welcome.
Proposal is interdisciplinary, inter-collegiate, cross-cultural, and groundbreaking across disciplines, departments, colleges, or bridges the campus with local communities.
Applications are invited from all University faculty members who hold tenured or tenure-track appointments and whose scholarly research will focus on issues related to Diversity, Equity, and Advocacy. The IDEA Multicultural Research Awards selection committee reserves the right to make the final decision regarding eligibility. Since a major goal of the grant is to enhance retention of a diverse faculty, highest priority is given to junior faculty of color, and particularly those who are in units or working on topics where research support traditionally has been difficult to obtain.
The submission of an incomplete application or of supporting materials other than those specifically requested is not permitted. The body of the application must contain the following:
Application Form: Please check back application form will be available soon. Applicants must complete an application form and submit it as the cover page of the application.
Brief Vita and Pertinent Publications (limited to one page): List educational background specifying the degrees obtained dates, and institutions. Also list all academic appointments in the last five years (including post-doctoral if applicable).
Proposal (limited to four pages, using 12 font or larger and 1 inch or greater margins): Since the selection committee will be composed of faculty from disparate academic backgrounds, it is important that the proposal be written in a style that is accessible to a non-specialist audience. The following information must be provided as part of the Proposal:
The abstract: Provide a non-technical abstract of the research proposed (limit to 200 words or less).
Present status of knowledge: Provide a brief description of the nature, importance, and specific objective(s) of the research.
Plan of work: Provide a brief description of the research you plan to conduct and the time line for completion of the project. Please specify the material and method to be used and the specific hypotheses to be tested.
Budget justification: State how each item in the budget is important to the successful completion of the research. (If you choose to include summer salary, be sure to include fringe benefit costs. If you include graduate student time, be sure that the fringe rate includes the tuition fees if during the academic year.)
Current and pending support: List all sources (including the Graduate School and other University of Minnesota sources) of support over the past five years, including current support and potential support (i.e., grants being prepared or already submitted). Specify the granting period, the title of the proposal, the name of the granting agency, and the amount of the award.
Budget: Please check back budget form will be available soon. Budget form must be submitted with the application.
The amount of the award will vary, depending upon the nature of the research proposed and the number of meritorious applications received. Awards will not exceed $7,000.
Award funds may be used to support partial summer salary, travel, research materials, research assistants, or other purposes directly related to the scholarly activity. Single semester or summer leaves, a sabbatical, or any other form of University-supported leave may not be held simultaneously with the Multicultural Research Award. Awards will be made for one year at a time. An awardee may apply for a maximum one-year renewal of the award in the following year.
Principal investigators are required to submit a progress report to the Vice President and Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity and, upon completion of the project, will be expected to present the results of their research at a Diversity Across the Disciplines Symposium. Finally, as part of our ongoing accountability efforts, recipients will be asked to respond to a survey describing the impact of the award on their research and career at the University.
The on-line application and budget form must be submitted electronically by 4:30 pm Friday, January 8, 2010.
Award recipients will be notified by the first week of February 2010.
Contact Barbara Chapin at 612-626-7386 or chapi001@umn.edu if you need further assistance or information about the IDEA Multicultural Research Award.