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Inclusive Excellence Mini-Grant Program

The School of Education encourages efforts of faculty, staff, and students that embrace the mission and vision of the university and celebrates opportunities that focus on enhancing the community. We endeavor to cultivate an environment committed to Inclusive Excellence that allows for innovative teaching, research and service experiences that are responsive to our students, faculty, staff, communities and other key partners. School of Education faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students are eligible to apply. 

The SOE Inclusive Excellence Mini-Grant program is designed to offer modest financial support to projects, opportunities, and programs that further the Inclusive Excellence goals of the School of Education, including but not limited to:

  • Procedural Justice, such as the recruitment of diverse students, faculty, staff, and partnerships, fair decision-making processes, and structures that promote Inclusive Excellence;
  • Distributive Justice, such as the equal allocation of tools and opportunities, fair resource allocation, and accessibility considerations;
  • Relational Justice, which includes disrupting interpersonal aggressions, healing cultural ruptures, and engaging in civil discourse that promotes learning, productive conflict resolution, and authenticity;
  • and broad Climate considerations, such as promoting belonging, meaning-making, safe spaces, and inclusive environments for our diverse SOE community.
Timeline

Proposals for Spring 2024 activities are due December 15th, 2023. Applicants will be notified of decisions regarding funding by January 5th, 2024. It is important that applicants recognize that funds will not be available for use until after that date.

Grant Amount

Inclusive Excellence Mini-Grants serve as seed grants for professional development and to enhance or develop an initiative or program that furthers the school's Inclusive Excellence goals. Individual proposals may request a maximum of $1,500; collaborative projects may be funded up to $3,000.

Projects Eligible for Funding

The project must have the potential to make an impact upon the campus community or address Inclusive Excellence-related professional development of community members as it relates to their role within the School of Education.

Funding can be provided for the following:

  • Conference attendance (registration and travel)
  • Training
  • Materials
  • Guest speaker honorarium and travel
  • Research support/Dissertation support
    • Please note that evidence of approved IRB will be required prior to the release of funds.
  • Programming and initiatives
What cannot be funded:
  • Overload or summer salary for faculty
  • Computers, digital cameras or printers
  • Administrative support to initiate the project
  • Applications seeking retrospective funding
  • Funding for personal development not directly related to enhancing the Inclusive Excellence of the SOE

The project plan must include a completion date no later than 6 months from when the grant is awarded.

Please note that students who are also W&M employees (not including Graduate Assistants) are ineligible for funding support that is related to their role as a student at W&M (e.g., dissertation support, student travel).

Additionally, student opportunity funding has been made possible by generous donors to the School of Education. If awarded a student opportunity fund grant, you will receive a follow-up email after submitting this application that will include a survey link to collect detailed information on the use of the funds and how the award supported academic learning and/or professional development. This information allows us to provide stewardship for the donors who are investing in our students. By submitting this proposal, you agree to submit the requested survey information within 14 days of receiving the survey link should you be awarded a mini-grant.

The Application

The application should be submitted through the online application (please do not submit applications via email). Proposals should include the following components (4 pages max, not including letters of support if needed):

  • Title: The title should reflect a clear and succinct description of the request
  • Aim(s) and Objectives: The aim of the project/request should clearly outline the purpose and the Inclusive Excellence goal(s) that will be supported. Identify the objectives and goals of the funding. These should use the SMART goal format: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific.
  • Project Implementation Timeline: Detail the timeline of the project and/or of the funds. For research projects, this must include obtaining IRB approval as needed.
  • Rationale: A brief rationale for the funding should be included. Research and best practices related to the request can be included here; however, this should not be a full literature review.
  • Brief Bio: Ensure to include any previous experiences/funding/skills that tie to the funding request.
  • Budget: Include an overview of the budget and how the funds will be used

For student applications, applications will also include:

  • Faculty Letter of Support: Include a letter of support from a faculty member who will serve as the supervisor (e.g., dissertation chair, clinical supervisor) or mentor (e.g., provide consultation and support) for the project. This letter should include confirmation that the student will be actively enrolled during the time period of the project. The letter does not count towards the 4 page limit.
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Proposal Evaluation Criteria
  1. The expected effectiveness in addressing one or more of the four Inclusive Excellence target areas for the School of Education:
    • Procedural Justice: promoting fair and unbiased processes and policies within education;
    • Distributive Justice: ensuring equal and fair access, opportunities, and resource allocation;
    • Relational Justice: promoting positive interpersonal interactions, collaboration, and perspective taking;
    • Climate & Belonging: creating safe, inclusive spaces that promote diverse communities within the School of Education. 
  2. The extent to which the proposal shows that the proposer’s department or unit, and in particular faculty for student application, is committed to supporting the funding request.
  3. The extent to which the diversity initiative contributes to developing a sustained effort in Inclusive Excellence.
  4. The extent to which the proposal promotes partnerships among faculty, staff, and students.
  5. The Inclusive Excellence mini-grant’s ability to enhance or build a new sustainable initiative.
The Final Report

The final report should include the following information:

  • Project/Program Objectives: Objectives/outcomes listed in grant application.
  • Project evaluation: A description of how the goals were met.
  • Sustainability: A description of how and the program will continue. Discuss any challenges or threats to continuation.
  • Outcomes: List any publications/presentations linked to this funding.
Award Committee

The SOE Office of Diversity and Inclusion will identify a committee who will review and make recommendations to the Associate Dean and Director of Diversity and Inclusion.  The review of each proposal will be reviewed based on the evaluation criteria with specific attention to its soundness, rationale for the funding, feasibility of completing the project within the timeframe proposed, qualifications of the applicant(s), and relationship of the project to the specified target areas.