Racial Justice Pilot Grant Program

Black communities have shown undying resilience and strength, yet institutionalized and systemic anti-Black racism persists in our national and local communities—threatening well-being across various domains of life. The University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement, Multicultural Student Affairs, and Butler Center for Service and Leadership are proud to launch new racial justice grants to support service, research, and/or programmatic activities that center on race, racial justice, and racial equity with a focus on Black communities on campus and/or in South Florida.

The grants support interdisciplinary teams of faculty, staff, community partners, and students to implement tangible initiatives to challenge anti-Black racism and empower Black communities on and off campus. Part of President Julio Frenk’s 15-point plan in pursuit of racial justice, this grant program aims to support the development of the University’s diverse faculty, students, and staff while fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applications are solicited to support community-based scholarship and activities that promote impactful and lasting change related to social justice among Black communities in the local South Florida community and/or the University.

Eligibility

This grant is open to projects that include undergraduate or graduate students, faculty, and staff. Submissions will be reviewed by faculty and staff. In order to qualify, projects must meet the following criteria:

  • Applicants must be enrolled as full-time students or be full-time faculty/staff at the University at the time of submission and implementation. Teams of three or more are welcome to apply and it is encouraged that a student be the lead applicant.
  • Proposed projects must include a faculty or staff collaborator. 
  • Applicants may submit only one proposal per funding cycle.
  • Student organizations are ineligible to apply.
  • Any projects from which the applicants will receive wages, salaries, or a stipend are ineligible.
  • Projects must contain a clear research, service, and/or leadership mission that explicitly addresses issues related to anti-Black racism and racial justice.
  • Projects must include a community partner, which may include on-campus organizations, offices, and/or departments, or off-campus non-profits. Confirmation from the identified community partner will be required for application submission. 
  • Implementation of the project must be completed within one year following receipt of the award. Recipients must produce a report of project outcomes at the close of the initiative.

Award amounts will range from $500-$5,000
Small awards: up to $500
Medium awards: $500 - $2,000
Large awards: $2,000 - $5,000

Application components

  1. Title and description of proposed project
  2. A proposal submitted to Dynamic Forms. The proposal should be no longer than three pages (double spaced, 12-point font, 1 inch margins) and include the following:
    1. A title and description of the project. The description should include the rationale behind the project, the proposed project deliverables, and the potential impact, as well as the metrics that will be used to assess project impact.
    2. A list of team members and the contribution each will make to the project.
    3. A timeline for the start and end of the project.
    4. A complete line-item budget. This budget should cover all expected costs and should be in its final version at the time that the applicants submit the application for review. Submissions that do not include a completed line-item budget will not be considered complete and will not be reviewed.
  1. A Collaboration Form must be uploaded with signatures from the project’s community partner and faculty or staff
  2. Additionally, applicants will be asked to briefly discuss past experiences with diversity and racial justice efforts that will support them in implementing their project.

Applications are due by Jan. 15, 2021.

Grant applications should be submitted at https://umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3QP8wcKqQ3pB2kd

Register to attend an information session on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. at https://miami.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwodO-sqz4vHNTXf8FxwCAZ-IhFq_SDxGdR

For additional information, email racialjusticegrants@miami.edu