Oberlin Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership
Innovation Fellows Mini-Grant Program
The Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership at Oberlin College is pleased to announce the Innovation Fellows Mini-Grant Program — a new funding opportunity designed to support original research, projects, and initiatives that advance the Center's mission and core pillars.
About the Program
This program recognizes and invests in the scholarly and creative work of our faculty and staff community, fostering a culture of inquiry, inclusion, and impact across both the College of Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music.
The Center is especially interested in work that critically examines the relationship between artificial intelligence, equity, and social justice as AI technologies increasingly shape education, labor, governance, culture, and everyday life. While not a requirement for consideration, the Center maintains the option to prioritize projects that interrogate how systems of power, bias, and inequality are embedded, reproduced, resisted, or reimagined through algorithmic tools and digital infrastructures.
Our Mission
The Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership advances diversity, equity, and inclusion at Oberlin College through transformative research, education, community engagement, and thought leadership. We serve as a hub for scholarship and practice that drives meaningful institutional and social change.
Our Pillars
- Communication & Thought Leadership: Amplifying DEI scholarship and perspectives through publications, media, and public discourse.
- Research: Generating and disseminating rigorous, applied research on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Education & Training: Building knowledge and capacity through workshops, curriculum development, and professional learning.
- Community: Cultivating partnerships and collaborative networks within Oberlin and beyond.
Questions? Contact the Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership at DEIinnovation@oberlin.edu.
Apply Now!
| Awards | 4 grants of $2,500 each (*pre-tax) |
| Total Funding | $10,000 |
| Tracks | 2 awards for College of Arts & Sciences faculty & staff 2 awards for Conservatory of Music faculty & staff |
| Grant Type | Mini-Grant (one-time award) |
| Purpose | Support research and projects aligned with the Center's mission and core pillars, including AI-focused work |
The Innovation Fellows Mini-Grant Program is open to:
- Full-time and part-time faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences
- Full-time and part-time faculty in the Conservatory of Music
- Full-time staff members in either division
Applications are reviewed within two separate tracks — one for the College of Arts & Sciences and one for the Conservatory — to ensure equitable representation across Oberlin's distinct academic communities. Two awards will be made in each track.
Interdisciplinary and collaborative proposals that bridge the two divisions are warmly encouraged and may be submitted under either track.
Applications will be evaluated on alignment with the Center's mission and pillars, quality and rigor of the proposed work, potential for impact, and feasibility within the grant period. Applications will be submitted via the Innovation Fellow Mini-Grant Application Google form.
Applications must include:
- Project title and abstract (250 words max)
- Project narrative describing purpose, methods, and expected outcomes (4-5 pages)
- Description of how the project advances the Center's mission and at least one core pillar
- Itemized budget and brief budget justification
- CV or biosketch (3-4 pages)
- For collaborative projects: list of all participants and their roles
Review & Selection:
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee convened by the Center for DEI Innovation & Leadership. Reviewers will evaluate each proposal on its merits within the applicant's respective track (Arts & Sciences or Conservatory). Finalists may be invited to discuss their projects with the committee. All applicants will be notified of decisions via email.
| Applications Open | July 1, 2026 |
| Application Deadline | September 30, 2026 |
| Award Notifications | November 2, 2026 |
| Grant Award | October 2026 - May 2027 |