Grants & Training

Grants

UAlbany Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award (formerly Diversity Transformation Award)

In support of the University at Albany Strategic Plan’s Diversity and Inclusion goal, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) invites proposals for innovative programs and research initiatives that strengthen, promote, and embrace diversity and inclusion at UAlbany.

This grant helps fund innovative pilot programs and existing initiatives that support a campus climate of equity and advance the University’s mission of fostering diverse and inclusive excellence.

For the 2024-2025 Academic Year, the Inclusive Excellence Transformation Awards will provide up to $4,000 per proposal to help support new or ongoing programs. Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award accounts must be closed by June 30, 2025. Any unused funds will be forfeited.

Faculty, staff, graduate students (in collaboration with a faculty or staff member), and previous awardees are all welcome to apply.
 

Timeline

Call for ApplicationsSeptember 30, 2024
Applications DueOctober 25, 2024
Awards Decision NotificationNovember 8, 2024
Funding Account Closing DateJune 30, 2025

 

grants
Eligibility

The following people are eligible to apply for funding:

  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • Graduate students (in collaboration with a faculty or staff member)
  • Previous Transformation Award recipients

Selected Proposals

In general, a successful proposal must demonstrate:

  • Involve collaboration within or across departments, units, student organizations, and schools.
  • Demonstrate the ability to promote greater equity and inclusion for historically underrepresented and underserved groups within the University and multiple campus constituencies.
  • Explain how the program can become part of the unit's regular operating budget or be funded by external sources to remain sustainable.
  • Funding from at least one source other than the Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award funds.
  • Provide a budget plan outlining the unit’s funding contribution and how Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award funds will be used.
  • Establish how the new proposal will build and advance the work of the current project if previously granted an Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award.

Programs

The following types of programs are eligible for funding:

  • Campus or Unit Climate
  • Faculty and Staff Recruitment/Retention
  • Leadership Development
  • Student Recruitment/Retention
  • Organizational Change
  • Student conference participation (only if the student will make a presentation at the conference and the financial support is equally shared with the academic department or office)
  • Faculty or staff conference participation (only if the employee’s attendance is to facilitate the student’s conference presentation and the financial support is equally shared with the academic department or office)

Funds

  • Up to $4,000 per proposal will be awarded in a one-time state fund allocation.
  • Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award accounts must be closed by June 30, 2025. Any unused funds will be forfeited.

Funding cannot be used on the following items:

  • Conference registration or other costs where travel is required for faculty and staff.
  • Computer hardware, art, or library collections.
  • Wages for 12-month full-time faculty, staff, or graduate assistants.
  • Scholarships
  • Instructor salaries for UAlbany courses for which tuition is charged.
How to Apply

Campus community members who can apply for an Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award must apply online by October 25, 2024. 

Applicants who are looking for guidance can consult these optional resources:

Funding proposals should clearly explain how the program would:

  • intersect with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s mission;
  • align with the University’s and unit’s strategic plan for diversity and inclusion;
  • define program outcomes (for example: “We will enroll 20 participants”);
  • define learning outcomes (for example: “Participants will learn how to define implicit bias and how to identify three campus resources for diversity and inclusion”);
  • support the achievement of those program outcomes and learning outcomes;
  • be appropriately evaluated and assessed, including how the success of its program outcomes and how the success of its learning outcomes would be measured; and
  • be fully funded to comply with all guidelines and goals listed above.

Programs that are selected to receive an Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award will be asked to complete the following activities:

  • Select an administrator to assist you with managing your Inclusive Excellence Transformation Award funds.
  • Schedule a meeting with ODI to discuss how ODI can support your project’s success.
  • Provide program/project information to support ODI's production of marketing requests based on your proposal.
  • Assess and evaluate the program’s success upon conclusion, as outlined by ODI.

Applicants should contact [email protected] with any questions.

 


 

Training

To address requests from students, faculty and staff alike for increased training on diversity and inclusion, we’ve expanded offerings with several new programs. Our efforts include: 

  • a retooled orientation program for all first-year students that explores intersectionality, allyship and systemic racism 

  • new workforce diversity training requirements for faculty and staff  

  • implicit bias training designed for all employees 

The University Police Department has been an integral partner in this work, as officers continue to build capacity in several key areas including cultural competency training to work effectively with international students, Muslim students, and the LGTBQ+ community. 

To request additional training, please email [email protected].