Description of Grant

The Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies (REIS) program supports the development of innovative courses that explore issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, are community-engaged, and that are rooted in culturally responsive pedagogy and equity-mindedness. Definitions for diversity, equity, equity-mindedness, and inclusion can be found on the

To that end, REIS, supported by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, awards summer grants of up to $1,500 to several full-time faculty to develop new courses or significantly revise existing courses. The course must be taught at least once within the three semesters following the award.

We are particularly interested in courses that do one or more of the following:

  • center the voices, experiences, and contributions of members of marginalized populations, whose narratives have historically been excluded from traditional classroom spaces, and challenge prevailing deficit-based narratives in order to promote empowerment and self-determination;
  • contextualize inequality within broader historical, economic, political-legal, interpersonal and intrapersonal contexts, and promote students' critical consciousness, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding around the practices, policies, and structures that result in inequality;
  • reflect inclusive pedagogical approaches, including inter- or trans-disciplinary lenses that can offer a more nuanced and comprehensive picture of social phenomena, as well as non-traditional modes of teaching, including those that authentically engage with students and community members as co-collaborators;
  • infuse equity-minded instructional practices that lead the instructor to interrogate and address inequitable outcome patterns for students enrolled in the course;
  • have the potential for deep and broad student impact;
  • engage students in undergraduate and graduate research in ways that impact their ability to become leaders on topics of race, ethnic, and indigenous studies on campus, in Milwaukee, and beyond. 

Interested faculty are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the REIS directors, Dr. Stephanie Rivera Berruz and Dr. Tara Daly, and to complete a new course proposal in the fall preceding the award. You may also consider reaching out to the Center for Teaching and Learning - they have a variety of resources available to help you get started as well as one-on-one consultations available. 

Application Procedures

Applications are due March 31, 2023.

Proposals are reviewed by the Center for REIS for alignment with office and university goals for diverse and inclusive classroom spaces, innovative student-centered pedagogical practices, and potential impact on students. Applicants must submit the following materials: 

  • Letter of application that describes the proposed course
  • One-page draft syllabus
  • Email or letter from department chair stating that they support the proposed course or course revision

Applications must be submitted electronically through this . Winners are announced by May 1. Prior winners from the past two award cycles are ineligible to reapply.

Awardees will be asked to provide REIS with a 1-2 page summary of their work along with a completed syllabus by Oct. 15th of the award year, keeping in mind that the deadline for getting new courses approved for the following academic year usually falls in November. 

Prior Grant Recipients

Summer 2022 

Summer 2021

Summer 2020

Summer 2019