Funding Opportunities

Do you have an amazing idea that will help transform educational access? Are you hosting a cultural celebration on campus? The Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion partners with several campus departments to provide grants and co-sponsorships for your innovative programs. We encourage you to review the opportunities listed to the left and contact us with additional questions.

Co-Sponsorships of Events and Activities

The UC San Diego Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion invites applications for co-sponsorships to support events and activities that are designed to foster a more inclusive campus climate. We appreciate the time and effort you are willing to spend in creating and offering activities that will enhance campus climate through educational and social programs focused on equity, diversity and inclusion. Our office hopes to encourage more of these activities by providing partial financial support. The UC San Diego strategic plan has specific diversity goals, and we encourage applicants to link their events to these goals. Co-sponsorships are provided based on alignment with the campus strategic plan's diversity goals, availability of funds and volume of requests. Co-sponsorships range between $100 - $500 and seldom exceed the max of $500. A two-week minimum from the event or activity is required for a proposal to be considered, and retroactive events or activities will not be considered.

The funding cycle for the 2024-2025 academic year opened on September 1, 2024, and will close April 30, 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:

Groups eligible to request funds must be affiliated with UC San Diego (registered student organizations; officially recognized faculty/staff associations; university departments, offices or programs).
The event or program must be a UC San Diego campus-based event designed to enhance equity, diversity and inclusion at UC San Diego
Your event or program must have other sponsors.

The request for funding should include the following information:

Program/Event Description:

Please provide a brief description of the activity, including the following:

Date, time and location of event
Desired audience/participants
History of event (if applicable)
Information about speakers, performers or other key participants
Copies of any promotional materials/fliers

Program/Event Impact:

Goals - List 1-3 goals
Measurable Outcomes - List 1-3 outcomes that you will evaluate
Attendance
Event surveys or other data that demonstrates that your program met its goals and outcomes

Program/Event Budget:

Please provide a budget with figures and description of how funds will be spent. Below are examples of typical event expenses

Advertising/Promotional Items
Audio/visual equipment rental
Event Set up charges
Facility rental fees
Food
Handouts/copies
Parking reservations
Speaker fees
Travel expenses

Please include your other co-sponsors' (departments, units, divisions, and/or organizations) funding support for your event. We cannot fully evaluate your request if there are no other co-sponsorships listed. All budget expenditures should abide by UC San Diego policies and procedures.

Apply

We recommend that you complete your application in a separate Word document, please refer to application fields in the following PDF (staff/faculty; students). When you are ready to submit, cut/paste your responses into the online application form below. Co-sponsorships are provided based on alignment with the campus strategic plan's diversity goals, availability of funds, and volume of requests.

Innovation Grants

The UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion invites applications to fund pilot projects that advance the core tenets of the UC San Diego Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. These core tenets are: Access and Success, Climate, and Accountability.

Access and Success: Attract, retain, and support a diverse faculty, staff, and student body with the goal of reflecting California demographics and achieving institutional excellence at UC San Diego.

Climate: Create and foster a positive and welcoming climate where we value, include, and support all at UC San Diego.

Accountability: Ensure institutional accountability through processes and structures that strengthen UC San Diego's clear and continuous commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Priority will be given to investigators who propose new, innovative projects that have the potential to create systemic changes that increase access, advance achievement and sense of belonging, and improve climate at UC San Diego.

Due Dates

VC EDI is not accepting applications until further notice.

Eligibility Criteria

Project Leaders/Investigators eligible for pilot EDI Innovation grants include faculty and staff from UC San Diego.
Projects must have pending or committed other sources of support (institutional, gift, or grant) to apply.
Projects that have received funding for two years are not eligible to reapply.
Projects must focus on the UC San Diego campus community.

Application Guidelines

The criteria for funding will include Significance, Innovation, Approach, and Sustainability. All applicants must submit a proposal no more than 5 pages. The proposal must include:

Background (1 page)
- Statement of the problem
- Significance of the work and key outcome(s)
Program Narrative and Impact (2 pages)
- A description of the proposed project, program, or pilot
- Project/program aim(s) and goal(s)
- Methods
- Any collaborative partnership proposed including all co-investigators
Program Evaluation (1 page)
- A description of how you will assess and analyze the success of the project/program
Budget and Justification (1 page)
- Brief explanation of how the funds will be used
CVs of Project Leaders/Investigators (not included in page count)

Overall Impact

Reviewers will evaluate impact of the project on addressing and increasing equity and inclusion at UC San Diego. The probability that the project may lead to other institutional, governmental, or foundation funding will be also assessed.

This funding mechanism will favor proposals that have the potential to advance systemic changes at UC San Diego that will exert a sustained, powerful influence on fostering an inclusive and equitable climate in the faculty, staff, and student ranks.

Core Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of merit, and give a separate score for each.

Significance. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion at UC San Diego? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will campus climate and/or diversity improve at UC San Diego?
Project Leader(s)/Investigator(s). Are the project leaders/investigators and collaborators well-suited to the project? Have the project leaders/investigators and/or collaborators demonstrated how their background and skills will address and improve diversity at UC San Diego?
Innovation. Does the application propose novel approaches to improving faculty, student, or staff diversity at UC San Diego?
Approach. Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
Sustainability. What is the potential for continued support from non VC-EDI sources?
Budget. Is the budget reasonable and well thought out?
Other Support. Have the project leaders/investigators sought out additional funds to implement the project? What other funds (departmental, divisional, gift, grant) are already committed to this project?

Use of funds

Funds of $5,000 - $15,000 may be requested. Funds will not be awarded for ongoing work, research projects, nor for bridge funding. We expect to fund up to 2-4 projects based on merit of submitted applications.

Apply for an Innovation Grant

We recommend that you complete your application in a separate Word document, please refer to application fields in the following PDF. When you are ready to submit attach your proposal as a PDF under the "Additional Attachments" section and write "see attached PDF" in the online application field sections (Background, Program Narrative and Impact, Program Evaluation, and Budget and Justification).

Innovation Grant Application

Previously Funded Innovation Grants

Award announcements are made on or before the last day of the quarter.

Currently VC EDI is not accepting applications for Innovation Grants.