Inclusive Impact Innovation (I3) Fund

The Inclusive Impact Innovation (I3) Fund, is intended to foster interdisciplinary collaborative projects that will spark innovative diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives that can be replicated across the global university system. These collaborations have the potential to showcase creativity and ingenuity that can occur by working across groups and disciplines.

Inspired by President Aoun’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan and findings from the 2021 Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey, the I3 Fund will serve as a mechanism to provide the Northeastern community with seed funding to catalyze innovative approaches to advancing our shared DEI vision.

OVERVIEW

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.

REVIEW CRITERIA

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 
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

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.  

RECORDING OF I3 FUND INFORMATION SESSION

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

HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

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.

I3 FUND SHOWCASE 2023

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

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  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?
  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.