Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein and Vice Provost for Faculty Laura Perna have announced this year’s call for proposals for the Excellence Through Diversity Fund. The fund provides resources for innovative projects by Penn faculty that advance diversity and inclusion. This year’s awards will prioritize proposals that recognize and seek to address the needs of junior faculty who have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Penn faculty with the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor in any track are eligible to apply. Projects may include cross-school research, conferences and events, large-scale faculty development work, and projects that assess the climate for diversity and inclusion at Penn.

Priority will be given to proposals that: 

• Recognize and address the needs of junior faculty who have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;  
• Promise to advance faculty diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Promote collaborations across disciplines, departments, and/or schools; 
• Foster new understandings of the structures, policies, and programs that advance faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Proposals must include a one-to-one match between the school and the Office of the Provost. The maximum grant provided by the fund will be $10,000. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on April 29, 2022. Please see the complete Call for Proposals for more information. For questions, please contact Connie Chang, Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty, at conniech@upenn.edu.