Building Research on Inequality and Diversity
to Grow Equity (BRIDGE) -
Systemic Racism & Racial Inequality Research

This call for proposals is closed.

Proposal timeline:

  • Proposals are due on or before March 8, 2021 at 11:59pm
  • Awards will be announced by March 29, 2021

BRIDGE Systemic Racism & Racial Inequality Research

The BRIDGE initiative (Building Research on Inequality and Diversity to Grow Equity) at Rice University is seeking to support new projects examining racial inequality and racism. This call contributes to the statement of solidarity between BRIDGE, the Center for African and African American Studies, and the Task force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice to generate, “...curricular, programmatic, and research initiatives mindful of and targeting anti-black racism and systemic violence to both increase knowledge of this systemic problem and foster imaginative efforts..”.

Towards this end, BRIDGE aims to foster work that documents and/or explores racial inequalities and the on-going production of racism, specifically as it occurs within Rice, Houston, and/or the broader Gulf Coast Region. This refers to the documenting of inequality and inequity between racial groups, drivers of these patterns, as well as the consequences and responses to on-going conditions of racial bias. We are particularly interested in work exploring the systemic nature and expression of racism and racial inequality.

We seek proposals for new research endeavors that lead to the generation of new data or knowledge and/or the generation of new academic partnerships that address or inform our understanding of inequality.

Although it is not strictly required, it is strongly encouraged that each application includes a minimum of two principal investigators, at least one of whom should be a faculty member.

Awards are funded up to a maximum of $50,000 and may extend for up to three years.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file and should be written for an interdisciplinary audience. The PDF should include:

  • A project description of no more than five pages in 12-point font (including any figures or tables). This description must outline a clear program of scientific, scholarly, or policy-related innovation that speaks to the initiative’s goals; as relevant, the means of addressing the issues listed under “Selection Criteria” below; and a clearly articulated plan of scholarly and/or publicly accessible publication.
  • A budget indicating how the requested funds would be used and indicating resources sought or acquired from other sources.
  • A list of any current and pending support for the proposed project that includes the funding source, the Principal Investigator, and the amount requested or provided.
  • A curriculum vitae for each Principal Investigator (no more than 5 pages).

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will consider the demonstrated ability of the investigator(s) and the potential for the proposal to:

  • Identify, explore, and/or address racial inequality with intellectually innovative and/or policy relevant approaches.
  • Lead to external, private, or public funding.

In addition, the committee will favor proposals that satisfy as many of the following as possible:

  • Generate new information or extend current information holdings in a way that is usable by others.
  • Engage existing Rice University resources, centers, institutes, or programs.
  • Engage Houston community partners or stakeholders in ways that are mutually beneficial to the research and the partners or stakeholders.
  • Build interdisciplinary linkages across departments/schools.

Budget Requirements

Seed grants can be used for research-related expenses, including, but not limited to: support for graduate or undergraduate assistants, project-related travel, information collection, production expenses, supplies, and support for seminars and training. Seed grants cannot be used for course-related expenses or travel unrelated to the project (e.g. conference travel to present findings).

Proposal Submission

Proposals are due on or before March 8, 2021 at 11:59pm. Proposals must be submitted by email to BRIDGE@rice.edu. Awards will be announced by March 29, 2021.