Belonging at Yale Grants for Faculty

The Belonging at Yale initiative, and the faculty grants to support it, began at the university in Fall 2020. The Yale Poorvu Center is continuing to partner with the Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration (RITM) to support ambitious efforts from Yale faculty to engage Yale students in discussions about equity and belonging in scholarship and pedagogy. We invite proposals that extend beyond making a single course more inclusive and focus on the broader impact of belonging within the Yale community. 

Proposed events—featuring invited scholars or practitioners—might include academic conferences, speaker series, film screenings, seminars, colloquia, or roundtables. Any programming should address issues of campus climate and/or institutional diversity. Collaborations between more than one school or program of the University are particularly encouraged. 

Appropriate proposals might include events that bring together multiple courses or programs to encourage connection and shared learning; or inviting guest speakers who address disciplinary topics while also expanding perspectives, encouraging respectful dialogue, and fostering a sense of community and inclusion among students and faculty.

Examples

Examples of what might be funded through the Belonging at Yale grants for faculty include:

  • The Poorvu Center sponsors a visit from a professor of biological sciences who speaks about diversity and equity on a national level, addressing campus strategies in a lunchtime roundtable; a workshop; and visits with students in a department.
  • RITM supports a one-day symposium focusing on the work of a scholar of Latinx literature at another Ivy League university; the following morning, the department chair hosts a junior faculty breakfast with the visitor to discuss mentoring, publishing, “invisible labor,” and career advancement.

To allow us to fund a diverse array of initiatives, we only allow one grant per group per year. For those applying for a second year in a row, it must be made clear how the grant will build on the previous year’s project/event. Most grants are funded between $500 and $2500. Larger awards will be considered for particularly ambitious proposals that provide more depth than an invited speaker and lunch discussion or provide more breadth than reaching those in a single department. If you have a more ambitious project, we welcome early inquiries to discuss potential ideas by contacting us at faculty.teaching@yale.edu.

We may also be able to advise you about other available opportunities or potential collaborations. Please note: proposals that focus on innovations for an individual course rather than broader Yale community impact (up to $500) should be directed to the Instructional Enhancement Fund.

The Grants for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are an initiative of Belonging at Yale and are in partnership with the Office of the Secretary and Vice President for Student Life.

Additional guidelines, including the requirement for a brief final report, will be provided to successful applicants. For additional information, please contact faculty.teaching@yale.edu.  

Apply

To apply for funding, please click here to complete the Faculty Grant Application. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.