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President's Diversity Initiative Fund

Caltech actively seeks new, innovative efforts towards improving diversity on campus. As part of Caltech's efforts to increase diversity on campus, President Baltimore has formed a Diversity Initiative Fund, generously supported by The James Irvine Foundation and internal Institute funds. The Diversity Initiative Fund seeks to foster new ideas and strategies and promote opportunities for Caltech students, staff, and faculty to become involved in campus diversity efforts related to underrepresented minorities and women. The Fund provides support for new diversity initiatives brought forth by faculty, staff, or students. These initiatives may cut across campus or involve single divisions, offices, or student Houses. Proposals may be large or small and may be for short-term or longer-term projects. For example, they may involve starting a program, partial support of a larger program (either new or continuing) that addresses diversity among its goals, or funding for a single event.

Proposals should clearly address how the new initiative or program relates to increasing the presence, visibility, or support of underrepresented minority or women students, staff, or faculty on campus. Proposals promoting campus multicultural educational programs or on-campus outreach that involves the participation of Caltech students, staff, or faculty are also welcome. Proposals should include a method of evaluation to be used to assess the extent to which the program or initiative achieved its goals; funded proposals will be expected to submit a report to the Administrative Committee on Diversity and Minority Affairs on their programs. Proposals should indicate the costs of the total budget of the proposed program or initiative, and any funding that may be expected from other sources. The Fund will distribute up to $25,000 in awards a year. Projects are funded for at most one year at a time, but multi-year projects can request renewal of support based on successfully meeting their diversity goals.

Programs previously funded by this Fund include: Women Mentoring Women (a program of the Caltech Postdoctoral Association), Semana Latina, Radio Astronomy Observatory Project, GradPreview@Caltech, Martin Luther King Jr. Week talks and programs, College Goal Sunday, LINKS/Alumni Mentoring project, Black Graduate Student Association, Crowns Project, WEST (Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology) group, and a student SURF project.
Individuals who have questions regarding the nature or scope of diversity programs or initiatives, or who would like feedback regarding possibilities for collaborative or complementary activity across campus are encouraged to contact one of the following offices:

Dr. Erica N. O'Neal
Assistant Vice President
Student Affairs
395-6322
eoneal@studaff.caltech.edu

Ms. Candace Rypisi
Director, Women’s Center
395-3221
candacer@its.caltech.edu

Ms. April White
Staff & Faculty Consultation Center
395-8360
april@caltech.edu

Dr. Miriam Feldblum
Senior Director for Academic Support and Planning
395-3617
feldblum@caltech.edu

Professor Joann Stock
Chair, Administrative Committee on Diversity and Minority Affairs
395-6938
jstock@gps.caltech.edu

Proposal Criteia

1. Written Proposal (between 2-5 pages, along with any relevant attachments).
2. Two letters of support for the proposal by Caltech administrators or faculty.

Application Process

Administrative Committee on Diversity and Minority Affairs (ACODAMA) will consider applications on a rolling quarterly basis during the academic year. The expected response time to a proposal will be 1-2 months. Please send all proposals to the attention of Dr. Miriam Feldblum, Senior Director for Academic Support and Planning. Email: feldblum@caltech.edu; telephone: 395-3617.
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