The Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grant Program

Call for Proposals

• The Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grant Program is a competitive small grants program which provides up to $5,000 for social science initiatives or innovations that advance the Social Science College mission of inclusive excellence.

• Priority will be given to multi/interdisciplinary, collaborative projects that are aligned with the SSC Institutional Access Implementation Plan.

• Funding may be awarded for, but is not limited to, initiatives that have the potential for long-term sustainable and scalable Institutional Access change in SSC, including innovations in Access education, initiatives to improve Access competency, advance climate, and/or retention of students and/or staff.

• The Program will award up to 5 grants.

Eligibility: 

• Staff members, including Academic Staff (Academic Specialists and Research Associates) and Support Staff (Research Assistant I, II, III) holding majority appointments in the College of Social Science are eligible to apply.

• Applicants may submit to more than one SSC funding program during the grant-application cycle, but a single individual may only be awarded funding from one SSC program of funding per academic year. Program funding cycle is on an academic year basis (August 16th to August 15th).

• Applicants should list all applications for funding, including dollar amounts, related to the proposed project whether applications are pending or approved.

Submission Process: 

• Applications should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation as a single PDF document, via email to: SSC.OIASubmissions@msu.edu, with Dean’s Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grants Program (Staff) in subject line. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on February 14, 2025.

• Application packets should include the following: 

  1. Application checklist

  2. 2-page proposal (single-spaced) addressing significance, methods, and expected outcomes of project and how it advances  institutional access. Applicants should also communicate how innovation/initiative will be financially supported beyond year one of funding. *For next 5 years, all proposals must be aligned Institutional Access Implementation Plan.

  3. CV or resume of Project Lead and members of team, if applicable.

  4. 1 supporting letter of recommendation from the applicant’s supervisor including language that the unit(s) are willing to continue to fund the innovation/initiative beyond one year if it demonstrates effectiveness.

  5. Detailed 1-page budget, justification, and documentation, with supervisor signoff.

Selection Process: 

• The Associate Dean for Access Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation will convene a Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grants Program committee.

• Committee will evaluate proposals and make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation.

• Funds may only be used for expenses related to the project. Funds may not be used for compensation, course buyouts, conferences, or uses in conflict with university policy regarding expenditure of general funds.

Award Requirements: 

• Awardees are expected to submit to the Office of Institutional Access.

  • .5-page (single-space) summary of all expenditure incurred by the halfway point of grant year (February 2026).

  • 1-page report (single-space) describing outcomes and dissemination plan, should be submitted within 12 months of completion of the award.

Review Criteria 

i. Quality and Technical Merit-35% 

• Builds on prior research and/or projects.
• Sound methodology or implementation plan 
• Feasibility 
• Innovative and creative approach to address a problem
• Alignment with SSC Institutional Access Implementation Plan

ii. Impact of the Work-35% 

• Potential of innovation/initiative to advance Institutional Access
• Practical relevance 
• Sustainability and/or scale of innovation/initiative
• Support from the target unit(s)

iii. Capabilities, Demonstrated Productivity, and Experience of Applicants-20% 

• Project Lead/Team skills
• Record of past success

iv. Budget-10%

• Costs equivalent to the work 
• Appropriate use of small grant funds 

Call for Proposals

• The Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grant Program is a competitive small grants program which provides up to $5,000 for social science scholarship that engages thoughtfully with, and advances SSC’s mission of inclusive excellence.

• Funding will either be awarded to fund dissertation research with an access-focus or access-focus dissertation completion (no predissertation research).

• The Program will award up to 5 grants.

Eligibility: 

• Graduate students in the College of Social Science in good academic standing are eligible to apply, and individuals may submit to more than one SSC funding program during the grant-application cycle, but a single individual may only be awarded funding from one SSC program of funding per academic year. Program funding cycle is on an academic year basis (August 16th to August 15th).

• Applicants should list competing funding sources applied for/or received, including amounts being sought.

Submission Process: 

• Applications should be submitted to the Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation as a single PDF document, via email to: SSC.OIASubmissions@msu.edu, with Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grants Program (Graduate Students) in subject line. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on February 14, 2025.

• Application packets should include the following (only complete packages will be reviewed): 

  1. Application checklist

  2. 2-page proposal (single-spaced) addressing significance, methods, and expected outcomes of dissertation research and how it advances access scholarship.

  3. CV.

  4. 1 supporting letter of recommendation which should come from the chair of applicant’s graduate committee.

  5. Detailed 1-page budget, justification, and documentation, with chair of applicant’s graduate committee signoff.

Selection Process: 

• The Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation will convene a Dean’s Institutional Access Small Grants Program committee.

• Committee will evaluate proposals and make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Access, Faculty Development, and Strategic Implementation.

• Funds may only be used for expenses related to the project. Funds may not be used for compensation, conferences, course buyouts, or uses in conflict with university policy regarding expenditure of general funds.

Award Requirements: 

• Awardees are expected to submit to the Office of Institutional Access:

  • .5-page (single-space) summary of all expenditure incurred by the halfway point of grant year (February 2026).

  • 1-page report (single-space) describing outcomes and dissemination plan, should be submitted within 12 months of completion of the award.

Review Criteria 

i. Quality and Technical Merit-35% 

• Builds on prior access centered pre-dissertation research.
• Sound methodology or implementation plan 
• Feasibility 
• Innovative and creative approach to address a problem

ii. Impact of the Work-35% 

• Potential to advance access scholarship
• Practical relevance 
• Promises identifiable research product (e.g., dissertation)
• Potential to attract additional sponsored activities

iii. Capabilities, Demonstrated Productivity, and Experience of Applicants-20% 

• PI
• Record of past success

iv. Budget-10%

• Costs equivalent to the work 
• Appropriate use of small grant funds 

The award recipients for 2024 are as follows:  

Faculty 

• Dr. Jinny Han Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), Dr. Linda Halgunseth (HDFS) and Dr. Nick Waters (HDFS) - Collective Empowerment Mentoring Program.  

• Dr. Rebecca Karam (Sociology), Dr. Najib Hourani (Anthropology) and Dr. Stephen Gasteyer (Sociology) – Counting MENA In: Middle Eastern and North African American Community Experiences at MSU. 

• Dr. Sarah Prior (Sociology) and Dr. Jennifer Carrera (Sociology) – Humanizing Across Differences Facilitator Training.  

Staff 

• Samantha Hughes (Office of Undergraduate Affairs) and Dr. Shannon Halbedel (Office of Student Success) – The STAR Program.  

Graduate Students 

• Gloria Ashaolu (History) – “An Outstanding Teacher, Civic Leader, and Author”: The Pedagogical Praxis and Education-Activism of Jane Dabney Shackelford.  

• Kexin Feng (Economics) – The Effect of Pay Transparency of the Gender Wage Gap.  

• Ezgi Karaoglu (Sociology) - (In)visibility and (Non)belongingness of High-Cultural-Capital Syrians in Istanbul Neighborhoods.  

• Atikah Bagawan (HDFS) - Designing, developing, and carrying out a sibling intervention implemented by parents for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  

• Xueshi Wang (Economics) – Does Paid Family Leave Widen Infant Health Disparities