EMU DEI Grants 

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) values community, belonging, justice, service, and peacemaking. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is committed to helping our campus become more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming for all.

The Inclusive Excellence Grant Program supports ideas and projects that promote belonging, equity, and justice, including work related to racial and social justice, across the EMU community.

For the 2026–2027 cycle, projects are encouraged to engage the University Theme, Power and Equity, exploring how power and identity shape our experiences, relationships, and institutions.

You don’t have to tackle large or complex issues. Small, thoughtful actions can lead to meaningful change. This grant encourages students, staff, and faculty to collaborate in an environment that supports learning, growth, and open dialogue, and to imagine ways we can build community together.

Proposals are accepted during the fall semester, and funded projects may be completed at any point during the academic year.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome proposals from EMU students, staff, and faculty for projects that:

• Bring people together across diverse cultural, academic, and campus roles
• Foster collaboration between departments, programs, or identity groups
• Promote belonging, equity, and meaningful engagement across EMU’s Harrisonburg, Lancaster, or Washington, D.C. locations
• Encourage learning and dialogue around topics such as racism, LGBTQIA+ justice, disability equity, and broader inclusion issues
• Have broad impact, benefiting the wider EMU community, not just a single group
• Engage the University Theme: Power and Equity, including how power operates within systems, relationships, and everyday experiences

---

DEI Priorities

Your project should connect with at least one of the following:

• Belonging and Community
  Creating a campus where all individuals feel valued, included, and connected
• Inclusive Learning and Experiences
  Expanding academic and co-curricular opportunities that reflect diverse perspectives
• Education and Dialogue
  Building skills, awareness, and opportunities for learning across differences
• Institutional Change
  Identifying and addressing barriers within systems, policies, or practices

For a more detailed explanation of these priorities, please refer to [DEI Priorities Overview ].

• Projects are eligible for funding of up to $1,200, depending on the number of proposals received and available funds.

  Proposals that demonstrate expanded impact, depth of engagement, or strong alignment with grant priorities, including thoughtful engagement with the University Theme, Power and Equity, may be eligible for up to $2,000 in funding.

  We’re looking for creative, innovative, and meaningful initiatives that help EMU better reflect and serve our diverse community.

  Examples of Funded Projects May Include:

  • Workshops or trainings on allyship, inclusive language, or religious and cultural inclusion
  • Art projects, such as murals, tapestries, or posters, that foster belonging
  • Inclusive pedagogy initiatives or curriculum development
  • Projects advancing disability awareness and equity
  • Storytelling efforts, such as pop-up museums, photovoice, or archives that uplift underrepresented voices
  • Initiatives that explore how power and identity shape experiences, relationships, or systems
  • Efforts that examine or address institutional practices, policies, or barriers

• Projects where the primary purpose is purchasing equipment
  (Equipment may be included in limited amounts if it directly supports a larger project)
• Projects that have already received funding for the same purpose
  (Additional funding may be considered for a different aspect of the project, such as moving from event costs to a speaker stipend)

To apply for an Inclusive Excellence Grant, you will need to:

1. Form a Collaborative Team

These grants require at least two co-leaders (more are encouraged) who will actively plan and carry out the project.

Co-leaders must represent two or more different categories (see below).
This requirement applies to the project leaders, not the audience or participants.

Examples of Collaboration

✅ A graduate student working with a faculty member
✅ A staff member and an undergraduate student
✅ A project involving both the Harrisonburg and Lancaster campuses

❌ A student club working only with the department that oversees it

Difference Categories

Co-leaders should differ in at least two of the following:

• Role – faculty, staff, undergraduate student, graduate student
• Organizational Unit – department, academic school, or office
• Major or Minor (for students)
• Race or Ethnicity
• Gender or Gender Identity
• Campus Location – Harrisonburg, Lancaster, Washington, D.C.

2. Submit Your Application

• Complete the application form available on the DEI website under the Grants tab
• Submit a detailed budget using the provided template
• Email your completed budget to dei@emu.edu

📅 Refer to the deadline listed on the DEI Grants website

📧 Email dei@emu.edu with any questions

Proposals will be evaluated based on how well they:

• Promote personal growth, stronger relationships, and meaningful impact within the EMU community
• Align with EMU’s DEI priorities and the University Theme: Power and Equity
• Demonstrate collaboration across different campus roles, identities, or experiences
• Present a clear, realistic plan that can be completed by the end of March
• Show creativity, thoughtful planning, and a clear vision
• Use funds responsibly and include a plan for sharing results through a final report and poster presentation

---

Presentation Requirement

Funded projects are expected to share outcomes with the EMU community:

• At the ACE Festival through a poster presentation
• OR, for faculty/staff-led projects, at a Tuesday lunch session in April

 Google application form

Budget Template

Final Report Google Form

!We will not disburse grant funds directly to applicants!

How are the grant finances handled?

Grant funds are not disbursed directly to applicants. The DEI Office manages all financial transactions related to funded projects.

• Stipends: Processed through payroll by the DEI Office
• Guest Speakers: Submit a payment request form along with a W-9
• Reimbursements: Submit an expense report with receipts to the DEI Office. Reimbursement will be provided by check or cash, depending on the amount

---

Can I use the grant to buy equipment?

Projects should not be centered on purchasing equipment.

However, equipment or general supplies may be included in limited amounts if they directly support the project. The primary focus of the grant should be on programming, engagement, and learning, not purchases.

---

Can I apply for a grant for the same project more than once?

If the request is for the same purpose, additional funding will not be provided.

If you are applying for a different aspect of the same project (for example, requesting a speaker stipend after previously receiving funding for materials), you may submit a new application.

Recurring projects should be incorporated into a department’s ongoing budget.

---

What does “collaboration across differences” mean?

Projects must include at least two co-leaders who bring different perspectives, roles, or experiences.

This collaboration should be among project leaders, not just participants or attendees.

Examples of collaboration:

✅ A graduate student working with a faculty member
✅ A staff member and an undergraduate student
✅ A project involving both the Harrisonburg and Lancaster campuses

❌ A student club working only with the department that oversees it

Co-leaders should differ in at least two of the following categories:

• Role – faculty, staff, undergraduate student, graduate student
• Organizational Unit – department, academic school, or office
• Major or Minor (for students)
• Race or Ethnicity
• Gender or Gender Identity
• Campus Location – Harrisonburg, Lancaster, Washington, D.C.

---

How should my project connect to the theme: Power and Equity?

Projects are encouraged to engage the University Theme: Power and Equity.

This may include exploring:

• How power operates in systems, communities, or everyday experiences
• Identity, privilege, marginalization, and belonging
• Dialogue and learning across differences
• How power can be used responsibly to promote justice and equity

Projects do not need prior experience with this topic, but should demonstrate a thoughtful connection to learning, reflection, or engagement.

---

When do I need to complete my project?

The Inclusive Excellence Grant follows one application cycle per academic year, with proposals accepted in the fall semester.

All funded projects should be completed by the end of March to allow time for presentations at the ACE Festival in April.

A final report is due two weeks after the ACE Festival and must be submitted to the DEI Office.

If your project cannot be completed on time, you may request an extension with prior approval by emailing dei@emu.edu.

---

How will I share my project at the ACE Festival?

All grant recipients are required to share the outcomes of their project with the EMU community.

Most projects will present at the ACE Festival in the spring semester through a poster presentation, which includes a summary of the project, outcomes, and key takeaways.

If your project is led only by faculty and/or staff, you will instead present at a Tuesday lunch session in April.

You do not need to have your presentation fully planned at the time of application. Additional guidance and expectations will be shared after your project is approved.

---

Can I apply for more than one grant project?

Yes. Individuals or groups may submit multiple proposals as long as each project is distinct and aligns with the goals of the Inclusive Excellence Grant program.

Each application will be evaluated separately, and funding is not guaranteed for all submissions.

This program is built on the premise that curriculum is the very foundation of a university, and we believe that the systemic change should start with decentering Western and white perspectives across our curriculum in favor of inclusion of non-Western and non-white perspectives, experiences, and modes of knowledge.

By funding initiatives on diversity and inclusion, the Hertzler-Koshy Faculty Fellowship Grant Program supports the mission of EMU to prepare students “to serve and lead in a global context.” Faculty and students at EMU are agents of change and have the opportunity to impact curricula (graduate, undergraduate, intercultural programs, training) in ways that advance equity and justice.

While this learning and growth may sometimes be uncomfortable, the goal is for us to learn together in a no blame/shame environment that is accessible to everyone. Faculty are encouraged to consider ideas that enhance the curriculum in ways that support a community of learners and provide all EMU students with opportunities to grow, learn, and belong together.

Faculty members who are serving full-time and are passionate about infusing DEI in our curriculum are invited to apply in collaboration with at least one student.

Full-time faculty are eligible to apply for up to two-semester terms with a course reduction (i.e., 3 hours of load per semester). Mini-grants of up to $500 are available to applicants in addition to release time. The total number of awards will depend on the number and quality of the proposals received.

Applicants are encouraged to develop, in collaboration with a student(s), creative and innovative projects in line with the program objectives listed in the RFP. Examples of possible initiatives:

• Mentor/work with students to advance projects that analyze power and identity in systems and cultures through the lenses of anti-racism and anti-oppression to promote justice and equity in the curricula (undergraduate, graduate, intercultural program, non-credit training). 
• Mentor/collaborate with students to examine the stories that shape them, understand their own stories, and recognize the stories that shape their communities and the world. 
• Facilitate with students curricular audits to assess, integrate, and infuse diversity into the curriculum with a specific focus on race, ethnicity, disability, and gender content in the curricula.
• Develop, deliver, facilitate, and evaluate a DEI or antiracist-related training in collaboration with at least one student.
• Develop and pilot DEI/antiracist/sense of belonging evaluation and assessment tools. 
• Advance the implementation of DEI/antiracism/inclusive pedagogy/queer pedagogy/feminist pedagogy/indigenous pedagogy in the curricula (undergraduate, graduate, intercultural programs, training), elevate traditionally marginalized narratives, and identify opportunities where there is a need to diversify the content of courses, programs, and training.

Some important benefits of this program include:

• This program offers participants time and resources to expand their curriculum to be more diverse and inclusive of marginalized narratives. 
• The community of Faculty Fellows gives participants the opportunity to engage in this work in partnership with students in a supportive network of colleagues.
• The projects taken on by these Faculty Fellows will advance the university’s commitment to increasing a sense of belonging for all members of the EMU community. A more diverse and inclusive curriculum will prepare students to become unifying leaders.
• Upon request, the Vice President of DEI will provide letters of documentation to demonstrate efforts by Hertzler-Koshy Faculty fellows to support their annual reviews and/or their rank and tenure process.
• Upon request, the Vice President of DEI will provide a certificate to acknowledge the participation of students in this program as agents of transformational change.

The Hertzler-Koshy Faculty Fellowship Program initiatives and terms are set annually by the Vice President of DEI and the Provost with input from the EMU community. The terms for the program are outlined in the Request for Proposals. Fellowship Program applications will be reviewed by the Faculty Scholarship Committee and the Vice President of DEI.

Post-award reporting and sharing

All applicants selected for funding are required to provide a follow-up report documenting the impact of the program/initiative/event by the set deadline. Awardees will also be responsible for sharing their project and its impacts with the EMU community through a workshop, panel discussion, presentation, art exhibit, and/or other method appropriate for the project/program. Details are provided in the RFP.

Please note the following key dates for the Hertzler-Koshy Faculty Fellowship Grant Program:

 

An email will be sent out to qualified faculty  Sept. 30, 2023, letting them know that the Request for Proposal (RFP) is open. Application details will have a link to the Faculty Fellowship Moodle Course. Applications should be submitted via the Moodle course by Oct. 31, 2023 by 5p.m.