Inclusive Impact Innovation (I3) Fund

The I3 Fund will be

• Awarded to several projects submitted by faculty, students and staff for a total of $150,000(US) annually.
• A renewable fund.
• Awarded through an online application process.
• Awarded annually during the spring.

Deadline

The deadline is February 22, 2024.

Project submissions will be reviewed for whether they achieve the following criteria:

• Fulfilling Northeastern’s commitment to create a welcoming and inclusive community 
• Fostering collaboration within the Northeastern Community 
• Serving as a model for innovative and inclusive practices in higher education 
• Promoting the spread and accessibility of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-racism, and Belonging (DEIAB) knowledge across the global network 
• Potential to replicate the program across the global university system 

The online proposal document limits submissions to 3 pages or less, and must include descriptions of the following for your project:

Section I: Project Description

• Description overview.
• Goal.
• Perceived need for the project.

Section II: How the Project Will Achieve Inclusive Impact

Description of how your proposal will impact inclusion and the experience of belonging in the Northeastern global university system.

Section III: Budget

• Proposed budget.
• Budget justification.

Section IV: Timeframe and Metrics

• Timeline.
• Metrics / measurement for success of the project.

Section V: Results

What the final deliverable(s) will be.

All applicants are required to submit using the application template. The template can be downloaded here and will be provided within the Qualtrics application. All applications must be submitted through Qualtrics. We recommend using any of the following fonts: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and fonts between 10-12 points.  

You can find a recording of an I3 Fund Information Session here.

The application for funding may be accessed here. You will be required to log in using MyNEU Single sign-on (SSO) to access the form. All applications must be submitted through Qualtrics.

London campus applicants may apply here.

If there are any technical issues with your online submission, you may email your proposal to diversity@northeastern.edu instead of submitting through Qualtrics.

You can find a recording of the I3 Fund Showcase held on October 18th, 2023, at this link.

INCLUSIVE IMPACT INNOVATION (I3) FUND FINALISTS

Co-Creating with Students a Faculty Course on Belonging and Inclusion Utilizing Participatory Methods

Campuses: Oakland, Boston

Colleges/Departments: DHS, BCHS

Co-create with students an online, self-guided learning course for faculty to develop skills that will translate to creating a sense of belonging both in and outside the classroom. The course will be developed recognizing students as experts and using backward design, working from what faculty need to be able to do within and beyond the classroom, and creating actionable, scaffolded, deliverable-based lessons that faculty can apply to their work. 

Team members

Jennifer Evans – Assistant Teaching Professor & Director of Curricular Innovation, Department of Health Science (DHS), Bouvé College of Health Sciences (BCHS)

Samantha Garbers – Teaching Professor & Undergraduate Program Director, DCS, BCHS

Maria Catrina Jaime – Associate Clinical Professor & Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs at Oakland, DHS, BCHS; Affiliate Faculty, STEM and Health Sciences Unit & Ex-officio Member, DEI Committee, Mills College

Allison Bauer – Associate Teaching Professor & Associate Chair, DHS, BCHS

ai4unidiversity 

Campus: London

Colleges/Departments: COS

ai4unidiversityis an innovative interdisciplinary project investigating the scaffolding role AI plays in the context of student populations, aiming to raise diversity, equality, and inclusion in Higher Education contexts. The main objective of ai4unidiversity is to help all students achieve their academic goals by providing them with the tools and guidance that are sustainable, and inclusive for all students, regardless of their background. A range of resources will be created to develop prompts for using generative AI solutions that will help neurodiverse and English lingua franca users benefit from AI ethically as a scaffolder to tackle academic problems and activities.

Team Members

Dr. Julia Hofweber – Assistant Professor, Psychology, NU London

Dr. Ekaterina Cooper – Assistant Professor, Psychology, NU London

Dr. Bianca Serwinski – Assistant Professor, Psychology, NU London

Lighting pathways to success in STEM with an Interdisciplinary Lab Meeting Program (LaMP)

Campuses: Oakland, Boston

Colleges/Departments: COS, COE, MSC, NUCRET, Center for STEM Education

This STEM mentorship program will match students with research faculty in STEM fields to attend lab meetings during the academic year, as well as two professional development opportunities. The goal of this program is to expand access to support networks and knowledge of unwritten standards across academic hierarchies for first generation students and historically marginalized groups in STEM. 

Team Members

Katie Lotterhos – Associate Professor, COS, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nahant Marine Science Center

Sanjeev Mukerjee – COS Associate Dean for the Global University, Professor, COE: Chemical Engineering, COS: Chemistry and Chemical Biology, NU Center for Renewable Energy Technology

Sarah Swope – Associate Professor of Biology, Mills College, Oakland

Rachelle Reisberg – COS Assistant Dean – Undergraduate Curriculum & Students

Jennifer Love – Center for STEM Education; COE Uplift Program

Nuly Root’d

Campus: Boston

Colleges/Departments: COS, DSMB

Nuly Root’d is a student-led initiative that proposes a solution to accessibility of hair care and beauty supplies, particularly those tailored for diverse and ethnic hair textures, through the installation of a beauty supply vending machine in Curry Student Center. This innovative approach aims to provide convenient access to essential beauty products for diverse communities on campus, addressing a critical need for students.

Team Members

Ashleigh Chiwaya – Second Year, BS in Psychology and Data Science Candidate, COS

Naomi Barrant – Second Year, BS/BA in Business Administration and Communications, DMSB

Henoss Taddasse (Faculty Advisor): Assistant Director of Program Operations in the Center for Student Involvement

We will hold a showcase in the fall where the university community can learn about the progress of these projects.  

Read more about past I3 Award recipients here.

1. What is the application deadline?
   • February 22, 2024.
2. When will we be notified about the award recipients?
   • April 2024.
3. How many people can apply from the same team?
   • There is no limit to the number of applicants.
4. Are there page limits on submission?
   • There is a limit of 3 pages using the provided proposal template, which can be downloaded here. All applications must be submitted through Qualtrics.
5. Are we limited on the supplementary materials we can submit, such as appendices?
   • No.
6. How many projects will be funded?
   • Approximately 3 to 5 projects.
7. What are grant-allowable expenses?
   • Expenses that directly promote and advance belonging within the 4 pillars identified in the 2021 Climate Survey: 
     • Belonging, Climate & Community 
     • Diversity & Representation 
     • Equity & Accountability 
     • Infrastructure & Investment.
8. Are there sub-awards?
   • No.
9. What is the length of the award?
   • 18 months.
10. What is the size of the grant(s) to be awarded?
    • This will be determined by the proposal(s) submitted. A total of $150,000 will be granted.  
11. Are there formatting requirements?
    • All applicants are required to submit using the application template. The template can be downloaded here and will be provided within the Qualtrics application. All applications must be submitted through Qualtrics. We recommend using any of the following fonts: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman, and fonts between 10-12 points. 
12. Who can apply?
    • Current Northeastern faculty, staff, and students. Students must be actively enrolled for the duration of the 18-month funding period.
13. If I have questions, whom should I contact?
    • Send an email to diversity@northeastern.edu. 
14. Which is the sponsoring organization?
    • Office of the Provost / ODEI / Northeastern University. 
15. Who reviews applications?
    • An interdisciplinary committee of Northeastern community members review and score applications based on a rubric provided by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and vetted by key stakeholders.
16. What are the criteria for the review of submissions? Criteria include: 
    • Fulfilling Northeastern’s commitment to create a welcoming and inclusive community 
    • Fostering collaboration within the Northeastern Community 
    • Serving as a model for innovative and inclusive practices in higher education 
    • Promoting the spread and accessibility of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Anti-racism, and Belonging (DEIAB) knowledge across the global network 
    • Potential to replicate the program across the global university system.
17. Can a Northeastern member apply with non-NU collaborators?
    • No. The purpose of this effort is to facilitate belonging within the Northeastern community through collaborative engagement.
18. How to apply?
    • The application for funding may be accessed here once applications open in the Spring. You will be required to log in using MyNEU Single sign-on (SSO) to access the form. All applications must be submitted through Qualtrics.