Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund

Recognizing that the design fields have a cultural obligation to address injustice and discrimination, the Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund exists to raise awareness of how race, racism, and racial injustice affect society (with a focus on the design fields) and promote a culture of anti-racism at the GSD. The fund supports strategies that work at the individual, departmental, and/or institutional level(s).

More About the Fund

Eligibility

Any current GSD faculty, researcher, staff or student. Preference will be given to proposals that: (1) strengthen the effectiveness of a GSD course, event, program or policy service, policy, or procedure that promotes a culture of anti-racism; or (2) enable the GSD to more effectively commit to the recruitment and retention of people of color within its community; or (3) deepens GSD community awareness regarding the findings of the Harvard and The Legacy of Slavery Report and/or advances the recommendations of the report in relation to design.

Application Process and Deadlines

  • Proposals can be submitted once classes begin
  • Proposals should be submitted through Qualtrics and include adherence to the fund’s criteria, as listed below (preview of the application can be found here)
  • Proposals will be reviewed by a committee, comprised of various GSD stakeholders before funding is awarded
  • Grant amounts will be awarded based on multiple variables: the request, mission alignment, scope of reach, impact of the proposal, and other requests being considered for that round of funding

  • Criteria

    1. How will the proposal increase the awareness of race, racism, and/or, racial injustice impact on society (and the design field)?
    2. How will the proposal contribute to a culture of anti-racism at the GSD?
    3. Demonstrate a clear plan of implementation that includes a detailed timeline, intended outcomes and itemized budget
    4. Identify the level of the funding request (e.g. individual, departmental, and/or institutional)
    5. Events must be widely publicized and open to the entire GSD community
    6. Funded initiatives must conclude within six months of being granted
    7. The Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund will not allocate funding toward any of the following costs:
      • Alcohol
      • Costs associated with items sold as fundraisers
      • Travel outside the United States
      • Groceries, catering, or other food expenses
      • Payment for student organizers or for faculty time
      • Any cost believed to be inconsistent with the mission of the Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund

    Examples of requests that Fund would support include but are not limited to the following:

    1. Promoting student access to academic and professional growth opportunities through sponsorship to conferences (e.g. NOMA)
    2. Increasing the inclusion of BIPOC guest speakers in a course or for a community talk by supporting the speaker’s travel, accommodation, and/or honorarium
    3. Advancing the cultivation of a diverse student body by assisting with the cost of faculty and/or student travel and accommodations for recruitment talks to minority-serving institutions (i.e. Historically Black Colleges and Universities)

REA Fund Spotlight

Image showcasing Abdul-Razak and Lamei Zhang's UPD Site Visit project for the REA Fund.
Image highlighting Iman Fayyad's Student Portfolio Workshop project.
Image highlighting John Wang's Hong Kong Architecture bibliography project.
Image showcasing Sophie Weston Chien's independent research.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply?

Any current GSD faculty, researcher, staff, or student.

How much on average can a recipient receive?

Funding is awarded on a range – typical grant awards are $700-$1,200.

How long is the funding term?

Funded initiatives must conclude within nine months of being granted.

What are some examples of requests the Fund would support?

Below are examples of requests that the REA Fund would support but are not limited to the following:

  1. Promoting student access to academic and professional growth opportunities through sponsorship to conferences (e.g., NOMA).
  2. Increasing the inclusion of BIPOC guest speakers in a course or for a community talk by supporting the speaker’s travel, accommodation, and/or honorarium.
  3. Advancing the cultivation of a diverse student body by assisting with the cost of faculty and/or student travel and accommodations for recruitment talks to minority-serving institutions (i.e., Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

What is not funded by the REA Fund?

The Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund will not allocate funding toward any of the following costs (may differ on a case-by-case basis):

  • Alcohol
  • Student/faculty labor (wages per hour)
  • Costs associated with items sold as fundraisers
  • Travel outside the United States
  • Groceries
  • Payment for student organizers or for faculty time
  • Any cost believed to be inconsistent with the mission of the Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Fund

What kind of assistance is available to recipients as they embark on their project?

During your funding term, the Office of DIB serves as a consultative body to help actualize your initiative.

What is expected of REA Fund recipients?

It is expected that REA Fund recipients will connect with the Office of DIB to share the progress and debrief the completion of the initiative. The Office of DIB will highlight initiatives on relevant websites and may feature your award in press releases, communications with donors, and other materials.

How is funding distributed?

Depending on the nature of the proposal and the applicant’s role at the GSD, funding may be routed via the appropriate office or directly to the primary applicant.

I have questions about my application, where can I go?

For related inquiries, you may contact Alice Swan via email.

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