Resources

The website contains a number of new resources for faculty, staff, students and postdocs. 

• Faculty will find a brand new faculty recruitment kit, as well as resources on mentoring, merit and promotions, inclusive teaching, holistic graduate student admissions, unconscious bias, accommodating students with disabilities and assisting students in distress. 
• Staff will find resources on professional development, ACHIEVE, and diversity affinity groups. 
• Postdoctoral fellows will find development plans, postdoc academy, and diversity recruitment fellowships.
• Graduate students will find handbooks, individual development plans, fellowships and opportunities, and resources for teaching support. 
• Undergraduate students will find resources on cultivating relationships with faculty, requesting letters of recommendation, and health professional careers.

Importantly, each group will also have access to a number of on-campus and off-campus health and wellness resources as well as general inclusion-related resources including COVID-19 related topics, anti-racism resources, reporting for acts of discrimination and intolerance, as well as mental health resources. 

Training resources including diversity, equity and inclusion, implicit bias, safe zone, disabilities and accommodations, and sexual harassment and violence prevention training are also curated on the website.   

Funding Opportunities

I am excited to announce the launch of three new inclusion-related funding opportunities, and I strongly encourage you to consider applying for them. 

1. Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships: We have launched a new pilot program to recruit and train a diverse pool of postdoctoral fellows who are interested in pursuing academic careers. The program will provide two $25,000 recruitment fellowships, to be used by mentoring faculty to recruit highly competitive postdoctoral fellows. The evaluation process will take into consideration evidence of research productivity, potential for success in an independent research career, and a strong track record of contributions to diversity. Deadline for Application is May 15, 2021.  
2. Diversity Grant Incentive Program: We will support Bio Sci investigators who are considering the submission of new and creative proposals for federal funding to broaden participation in biomedical science research training as well as efforts to enhance public engagement and understanding of science with particular emphasis on the engagement of women and individuals from historically underrepresented groups. To incentivize the development of such programs, we will provide a small research stipend ($5,000) to the PI(s) upon successful submission of a proposal and another matching stipend upon the program award. There is no deadline for application and those interested are encouraged to contact me directly at michael.yassa@uci.edu to discuss. 
3. Inclusive Excellence Leadership Awards: These awards are intended to support activities which promote equity, diversity, and inclusion on campus among faculty, students, and staff, as well as the communities served by UCI. The proposer(s) can be any Biological Sciences community member including faculty, staff, students, postdocs, and alumni. Groups are also encouraged to submit team proposals (teams must designate one individual to serve as the point of contact). The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will support a limited number of proposals each year under this mechanism. Proposals must include a budget of up to $5,000. Deadline for Application is May 15, 2021. 

I hope you will bookmark the new website and check it often. New resources, training, news, upcoming events, and more will be constantly added to ensure that this resource is useful and timely. A heartfelt thanks to Dean’s Office staff Ms. Regina Castleman and Ms. Elizabeth Meredith who worked diligently with me over the past few months to create this new resource. If you have any questions or would like to submit a resource to be added to the website, please contact me directly at michael.yassa@uci.edu.

Michael A. Yassa, PhD
Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
School of Biological Sciences