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University of Michigan letterhead, c. 1873

IHP Teaching Fund

Applications closed in October 2024 for this year’s funding cycle, and we anticipate that the deadline for the next cycle will be in Fall 2025. To receive announcements about the IHP Teaching Fund as well as other IHP updates, please join our mailing list!

As part of its mission to produce an inclusive and wide-ranging history of the University of Michigan, the Inclusive History Project (IHP) funds compelling, innovative undergraduate and graduate teaching that advances both the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the university’s past with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Funding is designed to support the efforts of instructional faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students in classrooms across our campuses to study and better understand the shifting boundaries of diversity, equity, and inclusion in relation to U-M’s 200+ year history. Courses supported by the IHP play a crucial role in expanding the scope and range of the research accomplished through the project and in enabling a broader and deeper scale of participation in its work.

Successful courses that are supported by the IHP Fund may also serve as an important first step in developing research projects that are eligible for additional funding from the IHP and/or for scaling up as multi-disciplinary Project Sites that operate in direct partnership with the IHP.

Funding takes two forms.

Course Development Grants up to $5K are available to fund the design and implementation of new courses that explore the university’s history in relation to diversity, equity, and inclusion across a wide range of contexts and topics. Possible examples include, but are not limited to:

  • a topics course that focuses on aspects of the university’s history through a DEI lens to advance learning in a particular field;
  • a research seminar with course assignments that focus on preparing and sharing research with broad audiences;
  • a first-year course that introduces students to the history of inclusion and exclusion at U-M and their campus to advance course learning goals;
  • and more.

Course Redesign Grants up to $3K are available to support the redesign of existing courses to integrate a significant focus on the university’s history into the content and pedagogical aims of the course through the development and implementation of new course components. Grants may also support the substantive updating of a course on U-M’s history that was previously offered. In cases where the redesign of an existing course is substantial enough that it triggers a curriculum review process, applicants should submit a proposal for a Course Development Grant instead. Possible examples of course redesign projects include, but are not limited to:

  • the development of research assignments or projects that engage students in research on the university’s inclusive history in physical and digital collections at U-M;
  • the addition of a content module that focuses on an aspect of the university’s inclusive history as a way to illustrate or specify the course’s overarching topic;
  • the development of a creative assignment (e.g., an online or physical exhibit, walking tour, digital archive, etc.) that invites students to develop new ways to engage U-M’s history through a DEI lens;
  • and more.

Proposals from all disciplines and on a wide range of topics about the university’s history as related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are welcome. For each funding cycle, the slate of proposals selected will reflect a range of topics and disciplines and will embed teaching related to the IHP across the three campuses. For the list of criteria by which proposals will be evaluated, see below.

Proposed courses in this funding cycle should first be offered in the Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 terms, unless a curriculum review process will extend the timeline for offering a course past the Winter 2026 term. If that is the case, please indicate the extended timeline in your application materials. If you are seeking funding for a Winter 2025 course, please email us directly at [email protected] to discuss funding availability.

Who Can Apply

Proposals are accepted from individual instructional faculty members, including tenure track faculty, clinical faculty, and lecturers, on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, as well as from collaborative teams.

  • Collaborative teams composed of multiple instructional faculty members, staff, graduate students, and/or undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to apply, as are teams that draw from multiple departments and schools or colleges. As a tri-campus project, the IHP especially encourages collaboration across campuses.
  • Please note that teams must include at least one instructional faculty member.
  • Lecturers must have continuing appointments in order to apply.

Other Guidelines

  • As part of the up to $5K awarded, course development grants include a stipend of $2K for the lead instructor. As part of the up to $3K awarded, course redesign grants include a stipend of $1K for the lead instructor. Stipends may be taken as a contribution to research or professional development funds or as compensation, and may be split between lead co-instructors.
  • Eligible expenses for the remainder of the grant award may include, but are not limited to, research assistance from undergraduate students (minimum $15/hour) and graduate students, supplies and equipment, expenses related to student activities and field trips, and honoraria for external guest speakers. No previously incurred expenses are eligible for grant funds.
  • The period of funding will be for 12 or 18 months, depending on when the proposed course will be offered. Longer funding periods are possible if a course approval process is required. Funds must be spent by the conclusion of the term in which the course is taught.
  • Participation in a collaborative workshop with other funded individuals and teams at the conclusion of the term in which the course is taught is required. As part of the workshop, awardees will make a short presentation on their course and submit presentation materials as well as the syllabus and/or course component(s) developed through grant funding.

Evaluation Criteria

All IHP Teaching Fund applications undergo a review process by IHP leadership and affiliates. Proposals are evaluated through the following criteria:

  • A substantive, significant focus on U-M’s history through a DEI lens that is integrated into the learning goals for the course
  • The potential for the project to advance the IHP’s mission in the areas of research and engagement
  • The feasibility of the project, as evidenced by detailed and concrete plans for how course projects and activities will be executed
  • The potential impact on student learning
  • The incorporation of materials from U-M’s campus archives or other U-M collections (see this list of library resources to get started)
  • Sustainability and the likelihood that the course will be repeated past its initial offering

Sample Proposals

The IHP Teaching Fund provided support for eleven new and redesigned courses for the 2024-25 academic year. Examples of successful proposals for the IHP Teaching Fund include:

Questions?

The IHP project team is also available to provide individual consultations and answer questions. Email [email protected] to get in touch.

How to Apply

When applications for the next cycle open in Fall 2025, applicants will be asked to submit the following:

  • Project abstract (100 words maximum)
    • Provide a brief overview or abstract of your proposed or redesigned course. This may be made public through IHP communications if your proposal is funded.
  • Project description (750 words maximum), including:
    • A description of the proposed course or project/activity, whether new or redesigned;
    • A project rationale, including how it will advance the aims of the IHP to produce an inclusive history of the university;
    • An articulation of the intended learning goals of the course, module, or project/activity;
    • A summary of 1-2 key deliverables, which may include a variety of new curricular materials (syllabi, assignments, etc.), publications (broadly defined), public-facing events or exhibits, and more;
    • A timeline for the project that includes the term in which the course will be offered.
  • List of project team members (if applicable), including a description of each team member’s role (250 words maximum)
  • Project budget that includes:
    • A list of budget items. For each item, please list:
      • The expense category (i.e., stipend for lead instructor, student research assistants, supplies)
      • The amount
      • A description and justification of the expense (i.e., a research assistant working 5 hours per week for 12 weeks to identify archival documents)
    • The total amount requested
    • Please note that stipends for the lead instructor(s) count against the $5K or $3K maximum grant amount, and should include a fringe rate of 8%.
  • A brief endorsement from the unit leader (i.e., chair, director, etc.) indicating that:
    • the department or program in question is aware of and endorses the project;
    • the development or redesign of this IHP course accords with unit expectations regarding teaching duties.
    • Endorsements can be completed by filling out a brief Google form or submitting a reference letter. The email request for the endorsement will be generated through the InfoReady application system. That request can be sent any time after you have created and saved a draft application in the system, including before an application is submitted. The Google form may also be submitted at any time, including before the application is submitted.