Call for Applications: 2024 Anti-Racism Graduate Research Grants

In support of the provost’s anti-racism initiative, and in partnership with the Rackham Graduate School, the National Center for Institutional Diversity’s (NCID) Anti-Racism Collaborative offers research grants that aim to support engagement in research projects focused on racism, racial equity, and racial justice while advancing graduate and professional student progress toward degree. Grants may provide support for a student’s own project extending from their faculty advisor’s research, or for a student’s independent scholarship supervised by a faculty mentor. A faculty support letter–that includes information on how the project may forward the students’ progress toward degree–will be required as part of the funding application. Projects should also align with the vision, mission, and priorities of the NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative. See “Application Process” below for more information.

Projects should focus on topics and processes related to racism at structural, systemic, institutional, interpersonal and/or intrapersonal levels, which could cover a variety of domains, including, but not limited to:

• Health, well-being, and social determinants of health
• Education in formal and/or informal settings
• Socioeconomic and occupational stratification and mobility
• Environmental racism and social justice
• Community development and infrastructure
• Social movements and activism
• Immigration experiences and policy
• Social attitudes and responses to diversity
• Criminal justice, policing, and the legal system
• Racial justice in science, technology, engineering mathematics (STEM) and medicine
• Race and racism in the fine arts

Grantees are invited to share their work in an annual research showcase held at the end of the 2025 winter term.

Grantees are invited (not required) to join monthly meetings during the Fall and Winter semesters to share their research progress and challenges, discuss how to navigate academia as an anti-racism scholar, and to be in community with one another. Furthermore, grantees will become a part of the Anti-Racism Collaborative community and have the opportunity to connect with other anti-racism scholars across the university.

Currently enrolled graduate and professional students (doctoral and masters) in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Students must be enrolled in a University of Michigan (U-M) graduate or professional program during the time of the grant period. Prior grantees can re-apply for funds to support the same research project or for a different project; however, priority will be given to first-time grantees.

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded during the 2024 spring term for the 1-year grant period.

Candidates must submit the online application form and include the following documents by Friday, March 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET:

• 100-word (or less) abstract of the project
• Project narrative (no more than 5 pages), including:
  • The nature of the research project and how the project is important to the applicants’ research goals. If the proposed project is an extension of their faculty advisor’s research project, please describe how the student’s project uniquely contributes to (i.e., is distinct from) their faculty advisor’s project.
  • The objectives and scope of the proposed project:
    
    • How does the project illuminate and address issues of racism, racial inequality, and racial justice? How does this work challenge or dismantle systemic racism?
    • How does the project align with the vision, mission, and priorities of the NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative?
    • How might the research likely inform practice, public engagement, and action to advance anti-racist principles and organizing?
  • Note: The reference list of sources cited in the narrative is not included in the 5-page limit.
    
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
  
• U-M faculty advisor letter of support that addresses:
  • How the proposed project may forward the student’s progress toward degree
  • Student’s prior experience, history, and/or propensity for anti-racist praxis
  • Contribution of the proposed project to the field, particularly as it relates to challenging and/or dismantling systemic racism
  • How the faculty advisor will support the student and/or project
• Proposed budget, including other sources of funding
  

See our FAQs below for additional information, including submitting team proposals.

Budget proposals may include:

• Stipend for living expenses
• Travel to research or action sites, supplies, and other expenses related to the research needs (no more than 50% of the budget should go towards travel)

Budget proposals should NOT include:

• Travel expenses not directly related to research or scholarly activity
• Hosting expenses not directly related to research or scholarly activity

Projects awarded will include a clear description of how the project will:

• Address issues of racism, racial inequality, and racial justice in novel ways (e.g., theoretically and/or methodologically)
  
  • While the specific focus of the proposed research may focus on impacts, processes, and change at the individual or interpersonal level as it relates to racism, the project narrative should also articulate how this work is related to continued efforts to challenge or dismantle systemic racism.
• Advance anti-racism and anti-racist praxis in alignment with the vision, mission, and priorities of the NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative
  
• Inform practice, public engagement, policy, and/or action to advance anti-racist principles and organizing

Funding decisions will be made in April 2024 with funds disbursed in May 2024. Funds must be used within one year of receipt. Any funds that are unused by the end of the grant period must be returned to the NCID within 90 days after the end of the grant period to allow time for financial reconciliation processes to be completed.

The recipient is responsible for coordinating with NCID staff and their home department to arrange for good stewardship of the funds. Funds will be transferred to a specified project grant within the students’ home department. 

Recipients must adhere to any applicable policy and procedures established by their departments. All activities must be done in accordance with any COVID-related spending restrictions at the time of the project.

Any changes in budget items or project period must first be approved by the NCID.

Applicants who receive funding must agree to submit a two-page final report within 30 days of the end of the funding period (report template will be provided) as well as return any unused grant funds to NCID within 90 days of the end of the funding period. 

Grant recipients will be expected to participate in Rackham/CRJ/NCID organized activities focused on disseminating information on their funded research project (e.g., give a talk based on a project at an Rackham/CRJ/NCID event, participate on a panel, lead informal coffee discussion, contribute to an NCID publication, etc.).

For additional information, please see the FAQs below or direct questions to ncidgrants@umich.edu.