Aligned with the University of Michigan’s DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, the Office of the Provost is soliciting proposals to support the pursuit of new scholarship aimed to better understand and address concerns of faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus who have a disability. For this initiative, we embrace a broad definition of disability, which may include mental, physical, and cognitive differences. Proposals are due by 11:59pm ET on October 21, 2024. Awards will be announced in January, 2025.

• Projects may span descriptive, interventional, or implementation approaches. Community engaged or community-based projects are welcome.
• Disability scholarship is highly interdisciplinary, therefore we encourage proposals that include multiple disciplines and perspectives, including new and novel collaborations.
• Applicants must make a compelling case that the project will increase understanding and/or address concerns of faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus with disabilities. Projects may include other audiences and communities, but the primary focus of the work should be clearly applicable to these individuals.
• This program is focused on addressing issues that are pertinent to U-M faculty and staff with disabilities. Projects focused solely on students with disabilities will be considered non-responsive to this program. Projects may include students but must focus on issues pertinent to staff and/or faculty perspectives to be considered fully responsive. We strongly encourage proposals that include staff and faculty as the populations of interest.
• Examples might include (but are not limited to): single or multi-media explorations of the disability experience on campus, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods descriptive work, secondary analysis of existing data, intervention development and testing for individuals with disabilities or caregivers, workplace supports, community building, educational and outreach interventions, policy analyses, and adaptation and implementation of established interventions.
• To share findings more broadly with the community, all funded project teams will be expected to attend and present an update on their work at annual convenings.
• Applicants are encouraged to confer with and partner with existing groups on campus and when appropriate partner effectively to leverage existing opportunities and data resources.

Eligibility

• Eligibility for the Catalyst Program: On the Ann Arbor campus, individuals with a primary appointment as Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor (any track), Research Scientists or Investigators, Librarians, Archivists, or Curators are eligible to apply for these awards. Multiple principal investigator (PI) projects are acceptable (and encouraged), but one investigator shall serve as contact PI.
• Eligibility for the Emerging Scholars in Disabilities Program: On the Ann Arbor campus, the PhD student (in good standing in a Rackham Program) or postdoctoral fellow will be listed as Principal Investigator, with a faculty mentor from the Ann Arbor campus listed as a mentor. Faculty members will provide a signed letter of support that they agree to support the applicant.

Support for Applicants

• Please contact us at [email protected] if you have additional questions. We encourage questions as early in the application process as possible.
• Pre-proposal Information Session Materials (optional informational webinar on Tuesday, September 10) 
  • Webinar Slides
  • Video & Audio Recording
  • Audio Only Recording
  • Closed Caption Transcript
  • Audio Transcript
  • Q&A from Webinar
  • List of Disability Organizations on Campus
  • Unofficial list of Resources & Groups Interested in Disability Scholarship on Campus
  • Community Networking Table

Funding Levels

• Catalyst Program: up to $300,000 for 2-3 years. Grant awards up to $300,000 are eligible applicants (see above).
• Emerging Scholars Program: up to $50,000 for 1-2 years. Grant awards are made to departments for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. A faculty mentor form is required.

All proposals will undergo merit and budget review. Depending on merit review, proposed grant budgets, and other program expenses, we expect up to ten proposals to be funded.

Funding Period

The period of funding should match the proposed scope of the project. Catalyst program projects are limited to 3 years of support and Emerging Scholars program projects are limited to 2 years of support. The funding period cannot begin until at least January 6, 2025. The project start dates are somewhat flexible, from January 6, 2025 to March 15, 2025.

How to apply for the grant

• Pre-submission Letter of Intent: All applicants MUST submit a brief letter of intent by 11:59pm ET on October 1, 2024. Click here to submit the letter of intent. You will provide the name of the applicant, the working title, and all key personnel involved in the project.
• Completed Applications: Include all items listed in the checklist below. Email the complete application packet to [email protected] by 11:59pm ET on October 21, 2024. Name your file LastName_Year.pdf (e.g., Smith_2024.pdf).

Checklist for final applications: Submit the following as a single PDF file in the order listed below

• Cover Sheet: Use this cover sheet.
  • Include the name of the primary proposal applicant, the title of the project, duration of the project, and level of funding requested.
• Project Overview (250 words max): Provide an overview of your project with enough detail for a general audience (i.e., outside of your discipline) to read it. This overview will be made public if your proposal is funded.
• Project Description (Maximum of four 8.5 x 11 single-spaced pages with 0.5” margins, Arial 11 font); references can be on a separate page and do not count toward word limit). Appendices are not allowed. The project description should include:
  • Statement of need/potential impact of the proposed work (up to 0.5 page)
  • Proposed work plan (up to 1-1.5 pages)
  • Dissemination and communications plan (up to 0.5 page). For the dissemination and communications plan, outline how the project results will be shared with the University of Michigan community and other relevant communities. Specify potential venues and opportunities to disseminate project findings. Clearly outline how you will make the plan accessible to the community (i.e., accessible documents, use of alternate text, transcripts, and subtitles)
  • On the final page of the project description, summarize the qualifications of the project team. This does count toward the four-page limit.
  • Note: Emerging Scholars awards require a letter of support from the applicant’s faculty mentor. See below for details.
  • For projects involving human subjects research, applicants must obtain appropriate IRB approval. Project leaders are responsible for assuring all project data are protected in accordance with university policy.
• Budget Request & Justification: Use this budget worksheet.
  • Provide the total amount requested and a budget breakdown.
  • Provide a clear and brief explanation for all proposed expenditures and how each will help to achieve the project goals.
  • See additional information about eligible expenses and justification in the budget worksheet. Department and university spending policies must be followed for all projects.

Additional Documentation for Emerging Scholars

• For the Emerging Scholars proposals, faculty members must agree to serve as a mentor to the PhD student or Postdoctoral fellow applicants. Faculty members should complete a Faculty Mentor Agreement form (which requires the proposal title and name of the primary applicant) and their attestation that they agree to support the proposal. This must be completed by the application deadline of October 21, 2024, at 11:59pm ET.
  • Forward to your faculty member the Faculty Mentor support form along with a complete copy of your application packet, including budget. The faculty member should review the proposal, and then forward the signed Faculty Mentor Agreement form to [email protected]. These must be received by the submission deadline.

Proposal Review Criteria and Evaluation Process

All applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary panel of advocates and experts in disabilities outside of the University of Michigan. Successful proposals should be accessible to a broad, interdisciplinary audience of reviewers.

Each proposal will be evaluated by a set of four overarching criteria:

1. Applicant makes a convincing case that the topic is relevant for University of Michigan faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus with disabilities.
2. Potential for new knowledge gained that will advance goals of equity and inclusion on our campus.
3. Diversity of disciplines and perspectives included in the proposal.
4. Potential for the dissemination and communications plan to accelerate effective implementation. The plan addresses pertinent accessibility concerns.

Reporting Requirements

We require all funded grant recipients to disseminate their results by completing a brief web form within three months of the project’s completion. These reports will be publicly displayed at a later date.

Questions?

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions and carefully read the guidance above. Contact [email protected] if you have questions or issues submitting your proposal.

Frequently Asked Questions