Office for Institutional Diversity Announces Inclusive Excellence Program Grants

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 20, 2016) — As part of an effort to increase diversity and sense of belonging across the University of Kentucky campus, the Office for Institutional Diversity (OID) is creating a grant program that will fund creative proposals for diversity programming.

The Inclusive Excellence Program will fund grants of up to $25,000 for creative diversity programming ideas, said Terry Allen, UK’s interim vice president for Institutional Diversity. The new program, which is funded by student fees, was announced Thursday during the UK Board of Trustees annual retreat.

"Inclusive excellence calls for us to increase our awareness of others and to work collectively to challenge our way of thinking and doing. It requires us to engage, teach, listen, and learn," Allen said.

The office will offer grants for inclusive excellence programs that are student-centric and foster collaborative programming and partnerships among groups, centers, programs, registered student organizations and/or initiatives that are looking to address the importance of diverse views and cultures, Allen said.

These programs should also educate others on issues of social justice and diversity, increase belonging and engagement of marginalized groups and increase opportunities for collaborative learning around issues of inclusive excellence.

"These grants are specifically designed for inclusive excellence in student programming or faculty/staff programming that has direct benefits for our students," Allen added.

Details about the timing of the program include:

• The call for proposals for Inclusive Excellence Program grants will be made available to the campus Tuesday, Nov. 1. The call for proposals will include specific criteria to apply for various levels of funding.
• Completed proposals and applications must be submitted electronically to tammy.arnold@uky.edu by Thursday, Dec. 1.
• Notice of funding will be given to applicants by Wednesday, Jan. 11.

For questions regarding the proposal process, call the Office for Institutional Diversity at 859-257-9293.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-257-6398, blair.hoover@uky.edu