As 4TU.NIRICT we strive to create a united and effective community of ICT researchers and educators in terms of its contributions to Dutch society. To realize this, we need a culture and environment in which all 4TU.NIRICT members can participate and develop their talents, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, disability, etc. To foster such a culture and environment we have created this funding scheme with the goal to increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within the 4TU.NIRICT community and our research and educational activities. Diversity refers to the composition of teams and organizations, Equity to ensuring people get support that aligns with their needs, and Inclusion to ensuring that all members feel valued and are able to contribute and develop their talents.
Application guidelines
In order to apply for funding, submit a proposal in the following format describing the five items mentioned below. The page limit is one A4.
1. Who are the applicants?
State i) title and name, ii) position, and iii) affiliation (section/department & university) of the applicants. For the contact person, also add email and phone number. At least one applicant from each of the 4TU.NIRICT affiliated universities taking part in the application must be a scientific staff member. In principle, proposals should include scientific staff members from at least three different 4TU universities. If the type of activity or measure that is applied for does not lend itself for participation of at least three 4TU universities, this should be clearly motivated in the application. Proposals with applicants outside the 4TU.NIRICT community are allowed if the before-mentioned conditions are adhered to.
2. What will the funding be used for?
The funding can be used for actual and specific costs/invoices for a certain activity, service or equipment. Briefly describe the activity or other purpose of the funding. Direct personnel costs will not be funded, but otherwise there are no restrictions on what the funding is used for as long as it supports the goal of the funding scheme (see "Why" below).
Examples of what can be applied for include but are not limited to projects to increase mutual understanding and respect for differences between people, measures to make conferences and gatherings in which a significant part of the 4TU.NIRICT community participates more inclusive,
training programmes for 4TU.NIRICT teachers to include examples and use cases in their classes that speak to diverse groups of students, creation of networks among 4TU.NIRICT scientists and students to bring together underrepresented groups for mutual support, exchange of experiences, influencing policy, etc., initiatives to increase visibility of underrepresented groups within the 4TU.NIRICT community, initiatives to foster allyship of people from majority groups with those from underrepresented groups, etc.
Note that costs made by event bureaus that help in the organization of your event are also eligible for funding. Funded activities should be complementary to existing DEI initiatives within the 4TU and the Dutch ICT community, as well as to measures that are within the regular responsibilities of HR departments and other organizational bodies and funding schemes.
3. How much funding is requested?
The total amount of funding available for this programme is 50K. We expect to be able to fund around 3-5 proposals with this budget. The requested amount of funding should be in balance with expected benefits for DEI in the 4TU.NIRICT community. Please include in your proposal a contextual breakdown of costs to motivate the requested amount.
4. Why is it supporting the goal of the funding scheme?
This is the most important part of your proposal. Describe how DEI in the 4TU.NIRICT research community will be increased through the proposed activity. If the target audience is more than the applicants (e.g., in case of organization of a workshop), describe what the intended audience is.
5. When will the activity be carried out or the funding be used?
The more specific you can be about the timing of the activities and spending of the funding, the better. This funding programme will initially run for one year, until June 2021. The funding should be spent by this deadline.
Proposals will be evaluated based on 1) the extent to which the proposed activity supports the goals of the funding scheme ("Why"), 2) specificity of the proposal regarding "What" and "When", and 3) appropriateness of the amount of funding requested ("How much").
Procedure
Applications can be submitted continuously. Applications will be evaluated by the 4TU.NIRICT board during their monthly meetings. Applicants will be notified of the decision on acceptance within two weeks after the decision has been made.
Please submit the proposal conform the above format as a one A4 pdf file by e-mail to Margje Mommers (M.Mommers@TUe.nl).
If funding is awarded, we request a publicly available report on the activity or measure (e.g., in the form of a website featuring a written and/or visual report, a short movie, etc.). If the nature of the type of measure or activity does not warrant such publicity, e.g., for privacy reasons, please
indicate so in the proposal. The financial administration of the funding is to be discussed with 4TU.NIRICT. It can either be via a direct invoice to NIRICT or a reimbursement. Both need accordance in advance, and must be arranged within one month after the funding has been used.
For questions about this funding scheme, please contact:
M. Birna van Riemsdijk - m.b.vanriemsdijk@utwente.nl (University of Twente)