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Challenge Grants

Applications for Challenge Grants are open for Fall 2023. Applicants must be UTK faculty or staff.

This funding opportunity is available for faculty-led teaching and research projects that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), engagement, access, education, and other relevant topics. Individual and team projects are acceptable. Projects should demonstrate relevance, research, reciprocity, and resilience. PI’s can request up to $3,000 per project.

Eligibility:

  • Full time faculty with an interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), community outreach, and engaged scholarship.
  • Scholars involved or interested in research that contributes to their discipline while making a positive impact on communities and external stakeholders.
  • An interest in working with faculty across disciplines to explore and learn more about interdisciplinary work.

Recipients must be willing to do the following:

  • Cite DDE as a funder when presenting or promoting events.
  • Present at DDE events as requested during academic year 2023-2024.
  • Effectively communicate the results of the project to UT and other academic spaces, the public, and other external audiences.
  • Please provide an overview of the project including goals, needs assessment, target audience, and anticipated number of participants. Projects should focus on such topics as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), access, education, opportunities, class, human dignity, or a more socially just world. Individual and team projects are acceptable. Projects should demonstrate relevance, research, reciprocity, and resilience.
  • Describe the work that will be done, how this project supports the mission of the Division of Diversity and Engagement, how community voice/involvement is represented, project timeline, and what your plans for sustainability are.
  • Outline and describe your funding request up to $3,000. Please provide justification for each category.
  • Describe the anticipated outcomes, impact of the project, and how you will evaluate the project.