CVPA Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Grants

The College of Visual and Performing Arts Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Grant Program is an annual internal CVPA award program. Projects funded through the CVPA Grants initiative will be those that show the most promise to advance issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, and access within the College for a wide audience of students, faculty, and staff. Appropriate projects may include, but are not limited to: lectures, concerts, exhibitions, readings, visiting scholar/performer/artist master class support, curricular development or revision, ensemble performances, workshops, or other creative proposals introduced by faculty, staff, or students within the CVPA.

Deadlines

• • October 1st –  for projects taking place in the Spring semester 
  • February 1st –  for projects taking place in the Fall semester

A copy of the application and CFP is available through the CVPA Dean’s office.

Grant Application Process

We encourage faculty and staff as well as students with a faculty sponsor from all schools in CVPA to apply. All applications will be submitted via Google form when the CVPA Dean’s office announces the grant application deadline each semester.

Submissions should include a one-page, single-spaced proposal that includes: Project Title, Project Overview, Budget of anticipated expenses, and if you are a student, a statement of support from a faculty sponsor. The following sample may help you as a template: Sample Grant Proposal

When writing your Budget overview, please keep the following in mind:

• • Recipients who receive funding in the current cycle may not re-apply for the EDIA grant for two years. For example, if you receive funding for a project in February of 2024, you must wait to reapply for grant funding until February of 2026.
  • On average, total funding allocations for projects will be between $200 and $1500.
  • The University will not approve add pays or administrative fees for full-time or part-time faculty members or students during the academic year.
  • Funds for the grants must be spent by the end of the fiscal year and UNCG faculty or student travel, food, and beverages may not be included as part of the budget.
  • Fund requests for items printing and marketing must account for on-campus resources such as services provided in the Digital Media Commons.
  • Grant recipients shall submit a report about the project after completion and explain how the funds were utilized.
  • Also, student-organized projects will require a brief one-page statement of support from a faculty sponsor. We encourage students to include in their proposals how their project benefits or impacts the CVPA community.

In the Project Overview, faculty or students should: 

• • clearly articulate the project and how it would advance an issue of equity, diversity, or inclusion in your department, program, school, or the College;
  • identify a target audience and implementation plan;
  • Identify how project connects with CVPA, benefits CVPA, and/or impacts a wider community at UNCG;
  • articulate the timeline or start and finish date of the project;
  • explain how you will determine and assess the success of your project;
  • Include a statement of faculty support if you are a student.

In the Budget Overview section, faculty or students should:

• • provide the total funding request for the project;
  • provide the estimated total budget of the project;
  • include a cost justification for all expenses that includes the following;
    • name of visiting participants receiving an honorarium or fee (Note: the grant funds may not be used to compensate UNCG faculty, staff or students during the academic year),
    • estimated travel, housing, and food for visiting artists (Note: UNCG faculty, staff, or students may not use funds for travel, housing or food)
  • include an explanation of additional sources or anticipated needs of funding support;
  • and if needed, clearly identify why and how the grant funding you are requesting will only support part of the project.

The Grant Committee will use the following rubric for assessment: (Click to view rubric).

Current Awardees

Congratulations to these faculty, staff, and students who received CVPA’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access Grants.

Spring 2024

A total of twenty EDIA applications were received with a total amount requested of $21,291. Congratulations to those graduate students and faculty members who received EDIA Awards totaling $3,700. The deadline for the next round of proposals will be October 1st. The proposals were reviewed by a section committee of Lecturer Tara Webb (School of Theatre), Chair; Brad Johnson, University representative (Coordinator, LGBTQ+ Education & Research Network); Associate Professor Ana Paula Höfling (School of Dance); Adella Dzitko-Carlson (School of Music, staff representative); and Amiah Jones (School of Art, student representative). Individuals receiving awards included the following:

• • Natalie Blackman, Assistant Professor of Voice/Acting, “Raising the Standards of Equity and Inclusion Speech and Accent Curriculum with Knight-Thompson Speechwork® Certification: in order to bring the current industry standard in inclusive speech and accent training to the School of Theatre, I would like to certify as a teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork® (KTS). KTS pedagogy is increasingly accepted as the global standard in inclusive speech and accent training.”
  • Patricia Gil, DMA piano student, “Our Most Honored Guests: Early Music for Children with Special Needs: the desired outcome is to help children with disabilities overcome accessibility barriers in the concert hall and by doing so also inspire others to do the same.”
  • Kyle Gray, PhD student in Music Education, “Visiting Lecturer and Clinician – Dr. Marques L.A. Garrett, Presentation on Non-Idiomatic Choral Music by Black Composers: well-respected as both a scholar and conductor, Dr. Garrett’s research focus includes the underrepresented area of non-idiomatic choral music of Black composers. The pursuit of this topic led to the publication of the anthology The Oxford Book of Choral Music by Black Composers.”
  • Natalie Sowell, Director of the School of Theatre and Associate Professor, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors at The Experiential School of Greensboro: the proposed project seeks to bring a NCTYP touring production of Last Stop on Market Street to a downtown location this spring (either the Downtown Library or the Greensboro Cultural Center). The production would be performed during school hours and open to the community.”
  • Anthony Taylor, Professor Clarinet, “Guest Artist Masterclass/Recital, Mr. Danny Mui, bass clarinetist in New York City Ballet: as a member of the New York City Ballet orchestra, Mr. Mui provides an example of a non-white person in a successful career in the elite ranks of the arts, in a field historically reserved for white people.

Past Awardees