Request for Proposals
Proposal Submission Deadline: March 8, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST
Catalyst Fund Description
Funding Period is April 2024 – April 2025
The School of Medicine is committed to cultivating equity in our practices and policies and developing a culture of inclusion in which faculty, staff and students experience a genuine sense of value, empowerment and opportunity.
To galvanize initiatives toward this commitment, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) is launching the EDI Catalyst Fund as a collaborative mechanism to provide resources for implementing innovative projects, interventions and programs that have the potential to scale or translate into broader School of Medicine initiatives.
Proposed projects will proceed to committee review if they show potential for positive impact in one or several of the following areas:
- Strategies that enhance the climate of inclusion and belonging, including but not limited to:
- Educational programs, professional development, and/or strategies in one or more of the following domains: addressing and mitigating implicit or unconscious bias; anti-racism; grievance resolution.
- Educational programs, professional development, and/or strategies in one or more of the following domains: addressing and mitigating implicit or unconscious bias; anti-racism; grievance resolution.
- Strategies that infuse equity and inclusion in recruitment, retention and promotion of faculty and staff, including but not limited to:
- Processes that promote equity and inclusion in candidate pools, reduce bias in search processes, and increase outreach.
- Strategies to enhance professional development, mentorship and sponsorship.
This fund is not intended to support research projects.
Eligibility
This catalyst fund is available to staff and/or faculty in the Duke School of Medicine. Project teams must have a regular rank faculty member and/or senior-level staff member designated as Project Director. Project teams may include faculty, professional staff, trainees and learners. The Project Director and any Co-Directors must provide a letter of support from their department chair(s) or equivalent chief(s) of service or supervisor(s), or leader(s) who make decisions around project implementation within or across departments. Project Directors and Co-Directors must be in good standing with the university at time of submission and remain so throughout the project period. Funds may be revoked should this status change.
Review Process and Timeline
Proposals are due on March 8, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST.
Proposed projects will proceed to committee review if they show potential for positive impact in one or both areas indicated in the Catalyst Fund Description.
Proposals will be evaluated using several criteria, including but not limited to:
- Innovativeness of the project
- Feasibility, including timeline and relevance of budgeted items
- Rigor of connection between project activities and desired outcomes
- Plan for cross-unit collaboration
- Sustainability plan including the potential for scaling or translation into broader initiatives
Applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals with feedback on or before April 12, 2024. Catalyst fund awardees and project themes will be announced in a formal communication.
Recipients will complete a report at the conclusion of the funding period that summarizes project activities, assesses outcomes, details high-level budget expenses and describes efforts to sustain or build upon the successes of the project. Project Directors will receive the template for the report at the end of the funding cycle.
Funding
Selected catalyst proposals will be awarded up to $25,000. Multiple projects will be funded. Funds may not be used to support faculty/staff effort, temporary staff or monetary distributions to support secondary or related projects.
The review committee reserves the right to offer partial awards and/or redistribute funds based on the number of proposals awarded and the relevance of budgeted items.
The funding period is 12 months from the award in April 2024 to final report in April 2025.
Submission
- Proposal Narrative
A detailed project description and rationale, activities and desired outcomes, targeted participants, and a timeline with anticipated start and end dates and a projection of progress and benchmarks.
- Enablers, Challenges and/or Barriers
A description of any possible enablers and/or anticipated challenges and/or barriers.
- Sustainability Plan
A description of the potential for scaling or translation into broader initiatives.
- Budget with Justification
A high-level description of resources, services and associated costs needed for project implementation.
- Letter of Support
The Project Director and/or Co-Directors must provide a letter of support from their department chair(s) or equivalent chief(s) of service or supervisor(s), or leader(s) who make decisions around project implementation within or across departments. The letter should address how the goals of the project are consistent with the unit’s long-term goals, as well as a plan for project support at the conclusion of the fund cycle.
The full proposal should be submitted electronically by March 8, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST. A template of the submission is available for use. Please submit the final proposal through the submission portal. You will receive confirmation that your proposal was received. If you have not received confirmation within 24 hours, please contact us.
Key Dates
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | March 8, 2024 |
| Award Notification | By April 12, 2024 |
| Funding | By May 3, 2024 |
| Check-In | By November 15, 2024 |
| Project End & Report Due | April 15, 2025 |