Equity and Inclusion Funding
There are a number of opportunites for supporting students and funding projects aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Psychology Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Grant Program
The purpose of this grant program is to enhance the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) of the field of psychology by supporting students’ research, education, and professional development activities that are aligned with DEI goals.
Who is Eligible?
Any Psychology undergraduate (majors only), Masters, or Ph.D. student who has an activity that contributes to the goal of enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of psychology is eligible to apply for a DEI Grant.
What Activities Can Be Funded?
Undergraduate Psychology major Niko Vehabovic at the UB Celebration of Academic Excellence
Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to support any activity that enhances the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the field of psychology. Some examples of the kinds of activities that might be funded and the ways in which they foster the goals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the field of psychology, are offered below.
- A project or activity that focuses on the unfair application of policies or practices within psychology (addresses Equity objectives).
- A research project that examines a psychological phenomenon within a population currently not well represented in the extant literature (Diversity, Inclusion).
- A professional experience that would expand opportunity or access, or that ensures that policies are fairly applied (Equity).
- Funding for a conference that currently is not well-represented by individuals who are an underrepresented minority (URM), 1st generation, gender minority, etc. (Diversity, Inclusion).
- Developing and hosting a community engagement day or activity that exposes Buffalo-area high school students to the field of psychology (Inclusion).
This list should not be considered exhaustive – one of the key review criteria will be how compelling of a case the applicant makes for why supporting the proposed activity has the potential to enhance some aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Given the budget and scope of this award, cost of living expenses cannot be funded at this time.
Although the specific number and dollar amount of awards each year depends on the available budget and the amount requested for each proposal, in general the goal will be to support multiple undergraduate and graduate student proposals.
How to Apply
Deadline: The application deadline will be updated each year; check this website for the specific date.
Application Form: The application form includes questions regarding eligibility for the award, the proposed activity, and the budget requested. To submit your application, please email completed application forms to Dr. Joyce Lacy.
Statement of Support: A statement of support from a faculty member or instructor in the Psychology Department is required.
Key Definitions
For the purposes of evaluating applications, the following definitions are offered:
- Diversity encompasses protected characteristics (e.g., differences) such as age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity.
- Social equity is impartiality, fairness, and justice for all people in social policy.
- Inclusion is the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated on four domains (Impact, Candidate Enhancement, Dissemination, Technical Quality).
- Impact: To what extent does the proposed activity have the potential to contribute to the diversity, equity, or inclusion in the field of psychology? (5 points possible)
- Candidate Enhancement: To what extent would this activity broaden the candidate’s exposure to or expertise in issues pertaining to diversity, equity, and/or inclusion? (5 points possible)
- Dissemination: Is there a clearly articulated and sufficiently detailed plan for sharing/disseminating knowledge from this activity? (3 points possible)
- Technical Quality: Is the application well-written, does it make a clear and compelling case for their project vis-a-vis DEI objectives, is it adherent to submission guidelines? (3 points possible)
Review Process
- A subcommittee of the department’s Equity and Inclusion Committee will review all submissions after the deadline. Any faculty member who has an existing mentorship relationship with an applicant will be recused from commenting on that student’s application.
- Applications will be reviewed with explicit consideration of an applicant’s career stage (e.g., undergraduate applicants will not be held to the same standard as PhD students).
- Applications will be evaluated based on the above criteria and the potential for the proposed activity to achieve the applicant’s stated goals (e.g., different considerations will be relevant for a training opportunity versus a research project).
- Based on the available budget, the committee will determine the number and funing level of awards.
For questions about applying for the Psychology DEI grant, please contact Dr. Joyce Lacy, Co-Chair of the Psychology Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Application Deadline
Psychology DEI grant applications are accepted on a yearly basis, early in the calendar year. The next deadline is January 10, 2025.
Recent Awardees
Margaret Azu, graduate student, awarded funds to present research at the meeting of the International Society for Research on Aggression.
Joseph Cook, undergraduate student, awarded funds for research project examining women’s sexual orientation and alcohol misuse behavior.
Nicole Koefler, graduate student, awarded funds for research project examining safety and threat responses of people from marginalized identities.
Ashmita Mukherjee, graduate student, awarded funds to present research at annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.
Chloe Richard, graduate student, awarded funds for research project examining predictors of perceived burdensomeness among racially diverse adolescents.
Aria Wiseblatt, graduate student, awarded funds for dissertation research examining Black women’s sexual assault risk and protective strategies.
Verenice Ascencio Gutierrez, graduate student, awarded funds to attend and present at the Association for Chemoreception Sciences Conference.
Sherika Caliste, graduate student, awarded funds for a research project examining whether Black and White participants feel similar to or different from Black or White messengers relaying factual events of racial injustice.
Ya-Hui Chang, graduate student, awarded funds to attend and present at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference.
Kamila Nixon, graduate student, awarded funds to attend and present at the Association for Chemoreception Sciences Conference.
Zaviera Panlilio, graduate student, awarded funds for a research project on UB's First-Generation Peer Mentoring program.
Sara Tauriello, graduate student, awarded funds for a research project on leveraging positive parent-child interactions to promote healthy child dietary intake among racially diverse families with lower income.
Dehnique Defrietas, undergraduate, awarded funds for materials for a research project examining the effects of bird watching on well-being among students of marginalized and non-marginalized backgrounds.
Alexis Harrell, undergraduate, awarded funds to attend the Humanity in Action Fellowship meeting in Warsaw, Poland.
Ashmita Mukherjee, graduate student, awarded funds to attend and present at the Research Society on Alcoholism Conference in Orlando, FL.
Additional Scholarships
- In the UB Scholarship Portal, you can access hundreds of scholarships across campus. The portal allows you to search for scholarships via keywords. After you complete a general application, the portal will streamline the list of scholarships to those that are recommended for you.
- Specifically, there are scholarships available for students with disabilities, as well as students who are immigrants or children of immigrants, students who are of Hispanic heritage, students who are able to demonstrate tribal affiliation, and students who are low-income women with children.
- Additional sources of funding can be found on through the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships. Their web page also includes advice on how to request letters of recommendation, write strong personal statements, and stand out in interviews.