IHP Research & Engagement Fund Large Grants

We anticipate that the deadline for the next annual funding cycle for Research & Engagement Fund large grants will fall in mid winter 2025. To receive announcements about the IHP Research & Engagement Fund as well as other IHP updates, please join our mailing list!

The IHP operates as a hub for a range of activities and partnerships related to its mission to produce and share an inclusive and wide-ranging history of the University of Michigan. We therefore provide funding for compelling research and engagement projects that originate outside of the IHP and advance the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the university’s past with regard to DEI. Such projects may inform future reparative actions recommended by the IHP.

Large grants from the IHP Research & Engagement Fund support the design and implementation of new research and engagement projects, fund the expansion and completion of existing projects, and catalyze projects designed to engage our campuses and local communities in learning about the university’s history of inclusion and exclusion. The IHP is interested in proposals for a wide range of projects that include research on the university’s history and engagement in some form, which may include more traditional research projects, exhibits, walking tours, performances, workshops, etc.

Successful projects that are supported by the IHP Fund may be eligible for additional funding in the future, through scaling up as affiliate project sites that operate in direct partnership with the IHP.

Faculty, staff, and units are invited to apply for large grants, and may apply as individuals or collaborative teams. The IHP is especially interested in projects that involve multigenerational teams, promote collaboration across departments and units, and facilitate engagement with diverse audiences. As a tri-campus project, the IHP highly encourages collaboration across campuses.

Please note that, for smaller-scale and student-led projects, the IHP offers mini grants through the Research & Engagement Fund, with proposals accepted on a rolling basis.

Who Can Apply

• Large grants are available for projects proposed and led by faculty and/or staff only. Proposals will be accepted from faculty members (including tenure track faculty, lecturers, librarians, archivists, curators, and clinical faculty) and staff members on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses. While at least one project lead must be currently affiliated with U-M, community partners or organizations are welcome both to lead and participate in project teams.
• Multigenerational teams composed of faculty, staff, graduate students, and/or undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to apply, as are teams that draw from multiple departments or schools or colleges. Cross-campus collaborations are particularly welcome.

Funding Guidelines

• Funding period: 12 months or 18 months
• Budget items may include, but are not limited to:
  • Personnel costs, including:
    • Compensation up to a summer ninth (capped at $9,000) for tenure-track and clinical faculty members leading projects
    • Compensation for lecturers leading projects, through a 0.05-0.10 FTE temporary research appointment over the life of the grant (compensation at the lecturer’s base salary rate and capped at $9,000)
      • Note that a letter of authorization and support from the lecturer’s unit is required with the application.
    • Additional pay or salary offset for staff members, librarians, archivists, and curators leading projects, calculated as a percentage of effort/salary
      • Note that a letter of authorization and support from the supervisor is required with the application. An additional letter of support from the unit’s director stating how the proposed project advances unit priorities and objectives is welcome.
    • Personnel costs may also include compensation for additional faculty and staff collaborators at U-M as well as for community partners and alumni who may be part of the project team. Compensation should be based on percentage of effort/salary over the course of the grant.
    • No more than $12,000 in total compensation is allowed for project team members (including the project leader’s or leaders’ compensation).
    • Costs may include hourly pay for graduate and undergraduate students as research assistants or project interns, which does not count against the $12,000 cap.
  • Research expenses (travel to research sites, materials, etc.)
  • Supplies related to project activities
  • Equipment (please note that, according to university policy, equipment is the property of the university)
  • Costs related to hosting events and external speakers or consultants that are directly related to project activities
  • Fees or honoraria for external consultants and other contract personnel
  • Costs related to disseminating results, including web design, publication costs, etc.
• Funds administration
  • In most cases, funds will be transferred to the project leader’s department or unit. IHP Dearborn project staff are available to provide central support for grant administration. All funds must be expended in accordance with policies and procedures in the project leader’s department/unit, school/college, and the university more broadly.

Additional Guidelines

• Applicants who receive funding must submit a two-page final report at the end of the funding period (a template will be provided). Any grant funds that are unused by the end of the grant period must be returned to the IHP.
• Participation in a collaborative workshop with other funded projects near the conclusion of the funding period is required. As part of the workshop, funded individuals/teams will make a short presentation on their project and submit presentation materials to the IHP.
• All IHP Research and Engagement Fund applications undergo a review process carried out by the IHP team. Proposals will be evaluated through the following criteria:
  • The inclusion of a significant focus on U-M’s history through a DEI lens, and alignment with the IHP’s research Frames: Origins & Trajectories, People & Communities, Sites & Symbols, and Research & Teaching
  • The potential for project to advance the IHP’s mission in the areas of research and/or engagement
  • The feasibility of project
  • The potential audiences and impact of the proposed project

Questions?

IHP team members are available for consultations in advance of the application deadline to provide guidance and answer questions. Please email [email protected] with consultation requests and questions.

How to Apply

When applications for the next cycle open in late fall 2024, applicants can submit the following through the application portal:

• Project abstract (150 words maximum)
  • A brief overview or summary of your proposed project. This will be made public on the IHP website if your proposal is funded.
• Project description (4 pages maximum, not including references)
  • A detailed description of the proposed project that addresses the central research question or primary idea, significance and background, approach and methods, and anticipated outcomes or deliverables (publications, websites, exhibits, walking tours, events, conferences, etc.). If an existing project, please address progress to date.
  • A project rationale that addresses the proposed project’s alignment with the goals of the IHP
  • Plans for campus and/or community engagement, including primary or intended audiences, plans for sharing deliverables and findings, and more.
• Project leadership and project team (2 pages maximum)
  • A statement that provides bios of the project leader(s) and addresses how past work prepares the project leader(s) for the proposed project. If community partners are involved, please specifically address their role as co-creators of the project.
  • (If applicable) Short bios of the project team that includes a brief outline of each member’s role
• Timeline/schedule for the proposed project (1 page)
• Budget and budget justification (template provided)
  • A detailed listing of budget items that includes a brief justification for each item, and specifies any other funding the project has received, with details about funder(s) and timeline(s).
• Brief letter(s) of endorsement or authorization for the following projects:
  • For projects involving the effort of staff, archivists, curators, and librarians, a letter of authorization and support from their supervisor. An additional letter of support from the unit’s director stating how the proposed project advances unit priorities and objectives is welcome.
  • For projects involving lecturers, a letter from their department or program supporting their temporary research appointment
  • For projects with community partners, a letter of support from the partnering organization

FAQs for IHP Research & Engagement Fund Large Grants

1. What are the differences between large grants and mini grants?
Both seek to advance the study of U-M’s history through a DEI lens through a variety of research and engagement activities. The different funds exist to support projects of different sizes and durations, and to involve different members of our university community. Each grant has different specifications in terms of who can apply and the level of funding–check out the detailed information on each grant for that information. Briefly:

• If you have a small project that will cost $3,000 or less that focuses on some kind of research or engagement activity, apply for a mini grant.
• If your project is bigger in scope, will cost more than $3,000, and may take more than 12 months to complete, apply for a large grant.
• If you are an undergraduate or graduate student and want to submit a proposal for a project you will lead, apply for a mini grant. You can also join teams with staff or faculty members who apply for large grants.
• If you are an instructional faculty member and your project is related to a course, the IHP Teaching Fund is there to support your work.

2. How can I find historical sources for the project I have in mind?
This is a great question. Many campus libraries and institutions hold materials about the University of Michigan’s history, and we highly recommend getting started on identifying resources and materials to begin your research with these four libraries.

3. How do I apply for a Research & Engagement large grant?
We use a system called InfoReady to collect applications. See the “How to Apply” section above for detailed information on the application components. When the application is live, we’ll add a link at the end of that section to be taken to the InfoReady application. Note that you’ll need to log in with your U-M credentials.

4. I am part of a collaborative team applying for a grant. How do we submit an application?
The team should select someone to submit the application and to serve as the main point of contact for the project. You’ll have the opportunity to designate other project leads who should be contacted with regard to the application, and to provide brief bios for each team member and their role as part of the application.

5. How much funding can be requested?
Large grants have a maximum funding amount of $25,000, and funds can be requested up to that amount. However, your project may not require the maximum amount, and you are more than welcome to request a smaller amount.

6. Does the IHP select proposals for partial funding, so at a lower amount than requested?
Yes, this is possible, especially in funding cycles when we receive a high number of quality proposals. If this happens, your award letter will indicate the partial funding amount.

7. When do funded large grant projects need to be completed?
For large grants, the grant period is 12 or 18 months.

8. When is the application due? Is the deadline flexible?
The application deadline will be announced soon, and will fall midway through the winter 2025 term. The application deadline is not flexible, as our evaluation of applications begins very soon after the deadline. If you miss the deadline, be on the lookout for the next round of applications.

9. How will large grant proposals be evaluated?
Proposals are evaluated by the IHP team with the following criteria in mind:

• The inclusion of a significant focus on U-M’s history through a DEI lens, and alignment with the IHP’s research Frames: Origins & Trajectories, People & Communities, Sites & Symbols, and Research & Teaching
• The potential for project to advance the IHP’s mission in the areas of research and/or engagement
• The feasibility of project
• The potential audiences and impact of the proposed project

10. When and how will I know if my application has been awarded funding?
All applicants will be notified whether their proposal has been funded by email. We plan to notify applicants 4-6 weeks after the application deadline.

11. If my proposal is funded, do I need to complete a grant report?
Yes. Applicants who receive funding must submit a final report at the end of the funding period (a template will be provided). We are also eager for project leads and teams to share their findings and their experiences with each other and with the IHP team. Funded leads and teams are therefore required to participate in a collaborative workshop with other funded projects near the conclusion of the funding period. As part of the workshop, everyone will make a short presentation on their project and submit presentation materials to the IHP.

12. What happens if I do not use all of the grant funds?
Any grant funds that are unused by the end of the grant period must be returned to the IHP.

13. How does the IHP issue grant funding?
The IHP will send award letters via email to those receiving grant funding, and in most cases that letter will include a funds transfer form that you will fill out with the help of a financial administrator from your department and program and then send back to us. Once we receive the form, we will transfer grant funds to your department and program. Note that, on the Dearborn campus, IHP project staff are available to provide central support for grant administration if needed.

Library Resources

Many campus libraries and institutions hold materials about the University of Michigan’s history. Get started on identifying resources and materials to begin your research with the four libraries listed below!

Bentley Historical Library
1150 Beal Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

The Bentley Historical Library is home to the University of Michigan’s Archives. These thousands of archival collections date back to 1817 and reflect all presidential administrations as well as the work of U-M schools and colleges over time. The archives document student movements and organizations, performances, athletics, student residences, cultural events, and the built environment on campus. Researchers will also find evidence of the University’s relationships with the cities of Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint, as well as the State of Michigan and communities around the world.

Archivists at the Bentley are happy to help navigate these vast collections based on your research goals. Please contact [email protected] to consult.

Genesee Historical Collections Center
303 East Kearsley Ave
227 Frances Willson Thompson Library
Flint, MI 48503
(810) 762-3402

The Genesee Historical Collections Center is located on the second floor of the Frances Willson Thompson Library in downtown Flint, Michigan. The GHCC opened in 1974 to house the official history and primary source documents of the various units at the University of Michigan-Flint. The records begin with the planning and founding of the Flint campus in the mid-1950s and continue with administrative records, student life materials, and papers from individual offices and colleges. To learn more, check out the finding aids for the university’s records , and email [email protected] with questions.

William L. Clements Library
909 S. University Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

The William L. Clements Library is a special collections library dedicated to the study of American history and culture before 1900. Located on the central campus of the University of Michigan, the Clements Library’s collections include maps, manuscripts, printed books, and graphic materials from the 16th through the early 20th century. Together, they compose the finest collection of early Americana on a public university campus in the U.S. These collections touch on all aspects of American history and culture (including the Caribbean). With respect to the work of the Inclusive History Project, the Clements collections provide critical contextual materials from the period of the university’s founding (including the histories of Native communities in the Great Lakes). They also support research into the broader histories of diverse communities in the United States, including African American history, Asian American history, Latinx history, queer studies, disability history, etc.

Curators and reference staff at the Clements Library are here to help students and scholars find materials in our collections that will meet their research needs. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Mardigian Library
4901 Evergreen Rd.
Dearborn, MI 48128

The Mardigian Library is a comprehensive academic resource center, with a collection of materials and databases available to support a wide array of IHP research endeavors. The library is also home to the Campus Archive, a repository dedicated to stewarding historical materials that chronicle the rich history of the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

The Campus Archive is accessible by appointment only and accepts remote requests for materials (please make sure to provide a minimum of two weeks’ notice for all requested items). To schedule an appointment or request scans of materials, please submit this form. For further details regarding the archive, please contact staff at [email protected].

For queries about databases and other library materials, please explore the “Research Education & Assistance” page.