The Inclusive History Project is now accepting funding proposals for its IHP Teaching Fund and IHP Research & Engagement Fund granting programs on the theme of Campus Voices and Democratic Participation. 

Proposals will be accepted through Oct. 30 for projects and courses that explore how U-M students, staff, faculty, alumni and others have used their voices for democratic participation across the university’s history.

“We aim to fund projects that will help people on our campuses and beyond to document and better understand the complex history of democratic participation at U-M and the many forms it has taken over time,” said IHP co-chair Elizabeth R. Cole, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor; professor of psychology, of women’s and gender studies, and of Afroamerican and African studies in LSA; and director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity. 

“This granting program will enable faculty, staff and students to dive into specific case studies, explore different methods and tactics that have been used for exercising political voice, and learn more about the outcomes of these efforts. We also hope some projects will focus on particular movements and causes, including those that are under-studied or not as well known.”

The IHP is interested in funding a wide range of projects on the Campus Voices and Democratic Participation theme. These may include new and redesigned courses, more traditional research projects, physical or digital archives, exhibits, performances, tours, workshops and more.

Three types of grants are available:

• Teaching grants, with up to $5,000 to design new courses and up to $3,000 to redesign existing courses.
• Large grants, with up to $25,000 to design and implement new research and engagement projects or expand or complete existing projects.
• Mini grants, with up to $3,000 for smaller-scale and student-led research and engagement projects.

Applicants may also submit proposals to this year’s IHP Teaching Fund and IHP Research & Engagement Fund competitions for topics on the university’s inclusive history that are not related to the Campus Voices theme. All proposals should be submitted by the Oct. 30 deadline, although mini grant proposals will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis. 

Information on each type of grant, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, can be found on the IHP’s Funding Opportunities page.

As part of this year’s granting program, the IHP will facilitate a community of practice for funded teams with projects on the Campus Voices theme. Opportunities for connection may include sharing works-in-progress with other project teams and engaging with an upcoming exhibition at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, “American Sampler: Activating the Archive,” which draws on materials from the Labadie Collection at the Special Collections Research Center and opens at UMMA in January 2026. 

Teams may also share work resulting from their projects in IHP public programs, such as the annual IHP Summit.

Since the launch of the IHP Teaching Fund and IHP Research & Engagement Fund, the IHP has funded 53 projects that originate outside of the IHP and contribute to building and sharing knowledge about U-M’s history of inclusion and exclusion. These include projects on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses and across a range of schools and colleges. A full list of projects funded to date is available on the IHP’s website.

The theme of this year’s granting program aligns with U-M’s Year of Life-Changing Education theme year through Look to Michigan, and particularly its goal of marking the past and creating together the campus and education of the future.

“This year’s Campus Voices and Democratic Participation theme is designed to catalyze and support work on parts of the university’s history that continue to resonate on our campuses today,” said Earl Lewis, IHP co-chair. “We are looking forward to what we will learn from funded projects and how that will inform the future of the university.”

Lewis is the Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies and Public Policy; professor of history, and of Afroamerican and African studies in LSA; professor of public policy in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; and director of the Center for Social Solutions. 

Members of the IHP project team are available to answer questions and to consult on potential projects. The team is offering 30-minute virtual consultations on several dates in October, and potential applicants can email inclusivehistory@umich.edu to schedule a consultation for another date or ask questions.