Call for Proposals: The Diversity Fund
In September 1996 President Rodin announced important new University initiatives to enhance diversity at Penn through the recruitment and retention of faculty and students from under-represented minority groups. The Diversity Fund was established as a new source of financial support to help foster the success of recruitment and retention initiatives as well as research on diversity in higher education. It is anticipated that funding for most projects will not exceed $20,000.
The Diversity Fund supports:
- Implementation of schools' strategic plans to increase the presence of under-represented minorities (matching funds required).
- Research on diversity in higher education.
- Projects to diversify the campus environment.
Application Process
Proposals to the Diversity Fund are reviewed in the spring of each academic year. Applications are due on or before March 15th of each year. If the date falls on a weekend or holiday the deadline is the following business day. Proposals must include:
- The Diversity Fund Cover Sheet*. Failure to complete the Cover Sheet or to comply with page limitations will risk disqualification from the competition.
- 100-word abstract of the proposal.
- Amount of current support for the project.
- Other pending proposals for the same project
- List of related support received during the past three years. If the proposal was funded in the past by the Diversity Fund, a report on the use of those funds and an assessment of the project's impact should be included.
- A one-page biographical sketch of each project director.
- A proposal of not more than ten single spaced pages giving the scope, rationale, significance, plan, and impact of the project.
- Budget (one page). Budget items should be listed in order of priority.
Proposals (an original and 10 copies with the Cover Sheet*) should be submitted to the Office of the Provost (110 College Hall/6303) for review. Criteria for review will include:
- Relation of the project to the Agenda for Excellence and the University's goals for recruitment and retention of under-represented minorities.
- Potential for generating new insights about diversity in higher education.
- Budget appropriateness.
- Current support.
- Projected/Committed amount of matching funds and/or School/Responsibility Center contribution.
--Office of the Provost
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* Cover Sheet should include: Name of Principal Investigator, rank, phone number, e-mail address, department, School, campus address, mail code, Business Administrator name, phone and e-mail, title of proposal, and signatures of Dean, Department Chair and Principal Investigator.
Almanac, Vol. 45, No. 14, December 8, 1998