Fund Details
Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund - 2022
Academic Year
2022-2023

Brief Description:

An innovation fund that awards competitive grants from $5,000 to $15,000 to project teams to pilot and scale ideas that seek to strengthen Harvard’s capacity to advance a culture of belonging.


Description:

The Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund (CLIF) awards grants to Harvard students, faculty, staff, fellows, and personnel to pursue ideas that advance a culture of belonging on campus. Ideas should identify a critical challenge around diversity, equity, inclusion, or belonging. Proposals should aim to have a direct impact on the Harvard community and align with the University's goals towards lasting inclusive excellence.



Application Information:

1.  Give your innovation a name
2.  Explain your innovative idea in 2 to 3 sentences. Think of this as your project pitch ie. "Bingo is a web application that tracks empty parking spots in a garage".
3.  Define the problem you are trying to solve (250 words max) and consider:
     What practical problem will be solved? What "pain" are we and/or our constituents experiencing? What is wrong or not working?
4.  Describe your innovation and the goals for this endeavor. Include:  
  • What are you trying to accomplish?
  • Why and for whom is this important? Who will benefit?
  • How is this advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Harvard?
  • Why is the Culture Lab Innovation Fund the right vehicle to fund this endeavor?
  • How is this idea innovative?
5.  What are the primary objectives of your project and how will you measure impact and success? Include:
  • What are you going to do and deliver?
  • What metrics will you use to measure success? 
  • What key milestones do you aim to achieve?  What are your improvement objectives and targets? 
  • What is the estimated time frame for project completion?
6.  Pathway to Inclusive Excellence - Please indicate how your project is aligned with our priority of achieving inclusive excellence through a framework of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Antiracism initiatives. Which strategic question is your project trying to answer? (500 words max.)
  • How do we recruit, retain, and develop a diverse community?
  • How do we create an inclusive and equitable campus climate?
  • How do we foster a community where everyone has a full sense of belonging?
7.  How much funding are you requesting? Estimates are welcome. Awards range from $5,000 to $15,000.
8.  Please submit the budget template provided in the application.
9.  Please select the option that best describes the stage of development your project is in.
  • Start-up: A very limited test of an idea that is expected to generate learning; uses the smallest set of features/activities possible to test a hypothesis.
  • Transitional: Small scale implementation of an idea (e.g., in one School/Unit, or a select handful of Schools/Units).
  • Mature Implementation: Small scale implementation of an idea (e.g., in one School/Unit, or a select handful of Schools/Units).
  • Scaling for Impact: Small scale implementation of an idea (e.g., in one School/Unit, or a select handful of Schools/Units).
10.  What area of diversity, identity, or culture does this effort explore? (ie. immigration status, race, physical abilities)
11.  Who is the primary audience or beneficiary of this activity? (ie. students, staff, faculty)


Eligibility Criteria:

Faculty and Staff:

  • All Harvard University benefits-eligible staff and faculty are eligible to apply. All primary team members must be affiliated with Harvard University.
  • All benefits-eligible Harvard administrative/professional, support or service and trades staff members are eligible to apply.
  • Primary, secondary, and adjunct faculty are eligible to apply.
Students, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Fellows: 
  • All full-time degree seeking Harvard undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply. All primary team members must be Harvard University affiliates.
  • Students must be enrolled for the duration of the funding period.
  • Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows are eligible to apply.
  • A full time appointment at Harvard University is required and the appointment must last the duration of the funding period if awarded.



Review Criteria:

  • Alignment -  Alignment with our Office priority of achieving inclusive excellence through a framework of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Antiracism initiatives
  • Inclusive Design - Proposals that apply inclusive design principles to their project including adherence with the digital access policy will be highly valued
  • Innovation - The proposal represents an innovative approach to advancing diversity
  • Impact - The proposal is expected to have measurable impact once implemented
  • One Harvard - Project teams should aim to include a mixture of faculty, student, staff, and/or postdoctoral fellows. Teams exhibiting cross-School and cross-functional and/or multidisciplinary collaboration will be especially valued
  • Promising Practice – Piloting this effort has the potential to have a University-wide impact and/or can be shared with other Schools and Units as a promising practice
  • Connection to Campus - The proposal has a direct connection to the Harvard community and influences the University's trajectory towards sustainable inclusive excellence and highlights a persistent challenge worth solving


Search Filters:

Institution
  • Other (Non Harvard) Institution
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
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      • Limited Submission
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        Discipline
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          Type of Award
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