The TCU Inclusive Excellence Research Grant will support participatory action research in existing programs and pilot projects or programs that use evidence-based strategies to promote diversity, equity and inclusion among the TCU campus community.
“We aim to bring together the considerable intellectual resources and practical experiences of our faculty and staff to ensure deep integration of Inclusive Excellence into the TCU mission,” said TCU Provost Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg.
The Inclusive Excellence Research Grant will provide up to $15,000 of project support. Student support, graduate or undergraduate, is limited to $5,000 per project, included within the $15,000 budget. Funding cannot be utilized to support faculty or staff salaries.
Examples of initiatives, programs and activities include the development of inclusive pedagogies, infusion of DEI into the curriculum, activities that foster intergroup relations and dialogue across differences, and activities that close the demographic participation and outcomes gap within existing institutional programs and practices.
The grants will be available for participatory action research (PAR), which identifies an existing program or uses evidence-based practices to create a new program for bringing about behavioral or learning outcomes that enhance engagement, self-efficacy and cultural competence, to provide evidence on how a program is performing.
“PAR is often a collaboration between experts who offer a course or program and researchers who assess cognitive and behavioral impacts of participants,” said Floyd Wormley, associate provost of research and dean of graduate studies.
Researchers identify and define the focus of investigation; collect data to use in answering the research question; analyze that data; and reflect on the findings to develop subsequent action plans.
The TCU Inclusive Excellence Research Grant Program will consider proposals for new or existing initiatives with goals to bring about a more inclusive environment, especially:
1. Campus Programs: Ensure inclusion and success whether intentionally DEI-related or not.
2. Advancing Students: Recruit, retain and graduate students into jobs or graduate or professional school, especially students from historically underrepresented groups.
3. Advancing Employees: Recruit, retain, and advance employees, with attention to individuals from historically underrepresented groups;
4. DEI Essential Competency: Discipline-specific training for faculty and graduate students to modify existing courses or develop new ones to fulfill DEI Essential Competency in the TCU Core Curriculum, and other academic initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion;
5. Courses and Curricula: Enhance learning, persistence to graduation or student success in other ways such as service learning, international experiences, research or other high-impact practices.
6. Campus Climate: Promote student success and an academic environment that is welcoming to all and free of bias.
Deadlines for Spring 2021
Call for proposals: October 19, 2020
Letter of intent: January 11, 2021
Proposal due: February 15, 2021
Grant awards announced: March 15, 2021
Project start date: June 1, 2021
Applicants should submit an electronic copy of the completed proposal to the Office of Research via email to SponsoredPrograms@tcu.edu (include Inclusive Excellence Research Grant in subject line) by 5:00 p.m., February 15, 2021. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.