AREI Equity Awards

RELEASE DATE: TBD

Application Deadline: TBD
Announcement of Awards: TBD

To facilitate collaborative grant proposal development and increase the number of competitive external grant submissions among Kent State University scholars, the Anti-Racism and Equity Institute is providing funds to support innovative research teams and pilot data collection for external grant proposal preparation. There are no limitations on the area of research if the project contributes to understanding and interrupting structural practices and procedures that lead to inequitable outcomes for people and communities of color. Successful proposals will shift beyond documenting persistent inequality and move toward engagement with reimagined forms of equitable opportunities and outcomes.

The maximum award amount is $20,000. Proposals must be transdisciplinary with a focus on equitable inquiries and real-world applicability. As such, proposals must include investigators from different departments, schools, colleges, or campuses within Kent State University. In addition, investigators are strongly encouraged to include community partners with which to collaborate on research design, data collection, and expected outcomes. Given the investment size, the submission should be of a high caliber, likely to lead to a significant external grant proposal. PIs must submit the resulting external grant application by spring 2026.

Proposals should provide the names of participating investigators, description of how time and funds will be used to develop the research plan, and a timeline ending with an anticipated date of external grant submission. Please be advised that a condition of this funding is that those receiving an award will seek internal or external peer review of the future grant application. AREI will work with awardees to identify potential reviewers before submitting the complete grant proposal.

Proposals that incorporate undergraduate investigators (through the SURE, Sophomore Year Experience, or McNair Programs) will be given priority. AREI will subsidize the costs of SURE fellows participating in funded Equity Awards. Proposals must also include a letter of support from the appropriate unit director or department chair approving the use of departmental resources, when appropriate. No awards will be made prior to obtaining IRB approval for the use of human or animal subjects.

If awarded, progress reports are required every six months and should be sent to Carla Goar at cgoar@kent.edu. Recipients must also provide AREI with a detailed final report summarizing the project’s impact and related activities no later than six (6) months after the award has ended.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Applicants must be Kent State University, full-time faculty.
Teams of at least two (2) Kent State University faculty may submit a proposal.
The proposed project should focus on interrupting racial inequities and have the potential to generate data that can be used for grant applications to external funding sources.
Though not required, the incorporation of community and undergraduate investigators is strongly preferred.