We want to thank the McMaster Community for your interest in our pilot microgrant program this Fall 2024 academic term, and for all the amazing projects, initiatives, research and events that were submitted. In total, we received 37 applications across our microgrant streams. Of the 37 applications submitted, 35 were eligible to move forward to our review committee, for the microgrant review and adjudication process! There was strong competition amongst those who submitted proposals and we thank everyone who took the time to apply. Please check out our winners below and help us congratulate them below:

• EDIA Progressive Research Microgrant: Ola Scharzenberg
  • Identity Construction and Social Connection in Emerging Queer Adults Accessing McMaster University Exercise Facilities: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis; This study aims to investigate how emerging queer adults construct meanings amidst the social mobilities and barriers faced when accessing McMasters exercise facilities. The goal of research is to inquire into the social mobilities and barriers within exercise spaces while also seeking to identify the physical cues and signifiers emerging queer adults look for when deciding to engage in exercise spaces. Seeking to uncover covert patterns and practices that discourage emerging queer adults or impact their safety when accessing exercise spaces, this study aims increase process of inclusivity on campus for queer emerging adults in recreations while building a community of queer emerging adults. 

• EDIA Impact Initiative Microgrant: Avery Hart, Jenny Hu, Mariah Rodriguez-Imbarlina, Jack Lawrence, Janaksha Linga-Easwaran, Sarthak Singh, Kshitija Mundle, Mariam Mahboob 
  • Trans Health and Gender-Affirming Care Boot Camp; In recognizing the significant barriers and inequities in care provided to transgender and non-binary patients and the disparities in health outcomes, the Trans Health and Gender Affirming Care bootcamp seeks to address knowledge gaps in building a comprehensive understanding of delivering gender-affirming care in safe and equitable manners, for students in early medical education. Students will have the opportunity to hear and reflect on patient experiences from the transgender community and engage in practical, hands-on learning opportunity in practicing and prescribing for gender-affirming surgeries and medications. The aim of this initiative is to foster positive attitudes, respectful communication skills and learning practices that are essential to providing gender-affirming care. 

• EDIA Community Event Microgrant: Maggie Cockburn, Karen Knott, Paula Hearn 
  • ‘Soop on Wheels’ Documentary Screening Event; The Soop on Wheels Documentary Screening is a collaborative event planning by the Faculty of Science, in partnership with the Indigenous Education Council and Accessibility program. The documentary film is about the life story of Everett Soop, a brilliant Blackfoot political cartoonist, who was under-recognized during his lifetime, partly because of his affliction with muscular dystrophy. The screening event is times to align with both the Indigenous Disability Awareness Month and International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The screening aims to raise awareness about the intersections of disability, Indigenous identity, and artistic expression. 

• Gifted and Black Research Microgrant: Jordan Lentinello 
  • Brains, Barriers and Black Women: Cracking the Code to Grad School; The proposed research will explore the experience of Black women in the “pre-diagnosis” phase of neurodevelopmental disorders and how these experience influence decision-making to apply to graduate school. With Black women being underrepresented in both neurodevelopmental disorder research and in higher education, this research seeks to contribute to significant gaps in academic and health equity research through exploring racial and gendered biases in healthcare and education. The goal of this research is to inform inclusive academic and health policies by offering systemic solutions to improve access to graduate education and mental health resources for neurodiverse Black women. 

• Black Flourishing Initiative Microgrant: Angelica Reid on behalf of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) McMaster
  • Empowering Black Students Through Tech Refurbishment: Bridging STEM, Sustainability, and Equity; Empowering Black student through tech is a refurbishment program designed to give access Black students access to technical skill that would be useful for their future academic pursuits. Created by NSBE, this refurbishment program further seeks to stimulate conversations around the importance of Black people in tech and STEM, grounding discussions in the global landscape of the Black diaspora in Africa and the Caribbean, and the critical need to contribute to sustainability. Lastly, by offering hands on tech repair workshop and leadership opportunities for Black students on campus, this initiative further seeks to connect Black students with Black-led STEM Organizations and businesses for further professional development. 

• Black Community Empowerment Event Microgrant: Lola Irelewuyi on behalf of MACAfricans 
  • MACAfricans Afrofest; Afrofest is an annual theatrical performance hosted by MACAfricans, which involves a live play, dances, music, food and a fashion show, dedicated to celebrating the diverse cultures, talents, and identity of Black students through the performing arts. Afrofest provides an essential platform for Black voices, allowing students to engage in cultural expression, storytelling, and performance while fostering a deep sense of community and belonging. 

EDIA Progressive Research Microgrant: Conflict Penalty in Workplaces by Jin (Iris) Wang Sangeun Ha

The General EDIA and Inclusive Excellence stream is comprised of three microgrants, dedicated to supporting research, initiatives, or events that align itself with one or more of the four pillars and/or 6 C’s of Inclusive Excellence. These microgrants are designed to support research, initiatives, or events that foster and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for equity deserving groups on and off campus and to support research, initiatives, or events that promote the protection, respect, and dignity of the 17 human rights protected grounds. Generally, this microgrant seeks to fund innovative projects that immediately and directly impact experiences of belongingness, intercultural exchange, global discourse and learning, accessibility, access and success of diverse peoples on campus, enhances community competency and/or collaboration, or provides pathways to systemic and interpersonal accountability and action.   

EDIA Progressive Research Microgrant of $1500: The EDIA Progressive Research Microgrant is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $1500. This microgrant seeks to encourage the creation and implementation of equity focused research that significantly collaborates with equity deserving groups, that is accessible in format and design, and has tangible and culturally competent community impact. This can include formal research and informal research such as departmental scans and assessments. This microgrant is intended to encourage experimentation, innovation, globalization, and development within research that aims to foster deep promotion of equity, inclusivity, and human rights.  

• Examples of eligible projects: needs assessments or environmental scanning of student groups, department, faculty, etc., domestic and global equity focused research projects, human rights focused research. community based participatory action research, arts-based research, focus groups, individual interviewing, partnered research with off-campus grassroots organizations  

 EDIA Impact Initiative Microgrant of $1500: The EDIA Impact Initiative Microgrant is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $1500. This microgrant seeks to support new initiatives or projects or projects and initiatives underway that are grassroots, collaborative, accessible, and equity focused. The aim of this microgrant is to support innovative initiatives and projects that have both systemic and interpersonal impact in promoting equity and human rights on campus and that is designed with sustainability, feasibility, and longevity in mind. This microgrant seeks to support evidence-based, interdisciplinary projects and partnerships that can range from pedagogical to political or digital impacts, collaborating across identities and disciplines with intersectional priorities, at the root.  

• Examples of eligible projects: equity focused grassroots projects such as food equity projects, menstruation project digital equity-based projects, creating pedagogy projects, safe space creation, educational or competency building projects, off campus community partnership-based projects, anti-violence projects etc. 

EDIA Community Event Microgrant of $500: The EDIA Community Event Microgrant is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $500, This microgrant seeks to support new events that are focused on providing safe spaces, intercultural exchange, sites of belonging, education, healing and respite, for equity deserving groups on campus or events that promote the respect and dignity of the protected grounds of human rights. This microgrant looks to support the stimulation of cross-community collaborative events, celebrations, and or community learning opportunities that have long-term and sustainable impact on it’s community.  

• Examples of eligible projects: affinity group activities that promote intercultural exchange or intra-community safety such as celebrations, dances, cook outs, lunch and learns, mental health events, athletic events, educational events, awards ceremonies, arts-based events, cultural and religious events, grassroots symposiums, panels, mini-conferences etc.  

The Tackling Anti-Black Racism stream is also comprised of three microgrants aimed to support research, initiatives, or events that align with the four pillars outlined in The Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities. The Scarborough Charter is a cross-institutional commitment to combat anti-Black racism and promote Black flourishing in academic institutions. Signed in 2021, McMaster is committed to advancing the four overarching principles; Black Flourishing, Inclusive Excellence, Mutuality and Accountability. Collectively, these principles aim to remove barriers to academic and professional growth, foster equitable and inclusive spaces, and remain accountable to the commitments outlined in the Charter. As such, this microgrant seeks to fund projects that address anti-Black racism, advance professional and academic growth and increase mental wellbeing with an intersectional lens for the Black community at McMaster University.  

Disclaimer: Black History Month events are not eligible for funding under this microgrant, there is separate funding for Black History Month focused events.

Gifted and Black Research Microgrant of $1500: The Gifted and Black Research Grant is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $1500. This microgrant seeks to foster Black intellectual excellence through the creation and implementation of equity-focused research aimed to address anti-Black racism and uplift the Black community. This research will be intersectional, accessible in format and design, and will be Black serving, Black-lead, and Black-focused. As such, only Black identifying, undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and PhD students will be eligible for this grant. This grant is open to various forms of research including formal and informal methods. Overall, this grant aims to foster innovation, elevate the academic caliber of Black scholarship, and support Black academics in using research to uplift their communities. 

• Examples of eligible projects needs assessments or environmental scanning of student groups, department, faculty, etc., domestic and global equity focused research projects, human rights focused research. community based participatory action research, arts-based research, focus groups, individual interviewing, partnered research with off-campus grassroots organizations, etc. 

 Black Flourishing Initiative Microgrant of $1500: The Black Flourishing Initiative is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $1500. This microgrant is intended to support new projects or initiatives aimed to address anti-Black racism, promote equity and inclusion, enhance cultural understanding, advance health and wellbeing, and support economic empowerment. The proposed initiative should have systemic and interpersonal impact in promoting Scarborough Charter principles such as Black flourishing and mutuality designed with sustainability and longevity considered. Initiatives and/or projects should be evidenced-based, interdisciplinary and intersectional-focused that can range from pedagogical to community engagement or digital works.  

• Examples of eligible projects: Black flourishing projects such as mentorship programs, Black-peer support drop-in creation, mental health support to foster Black belonging. Mutuality initiatives/projects looks like, off campus community partnership-based projects, toolkit development, creating a digital archive of oral histories, etc.  

 Black Community Empowerment Event Microgrant of $500: The Black Community Empowerment Event Microgrant is awarded to one candidate or group and is valued at $500. This microgrant seeks to support new events aimed to address anti-Black racism, celebrate Black culture and traditions, promote community engagement, and foster healing and inclusivity. Events should be intersectional, accessible, and will be Black serving, Black-lead, and Black-focused. In the spirit of uplifting the Black community, this grant will support projects that engage in community collaborative events, celebrations and educational awareness.  

• Examples of eligible projects: affinity group activities that promote intercultural exchange or intra-community safety such as celebrations, dances, cook outs, lunch and learns, mental health events, athletic events, educational events, awards ceremonies, arts-based events, cultural and religious events, grassroots symposiums, panels, mini-conferences etc. 

The purpose of this stream is to support initiatives, events, and research that foster a campus environment free from gender-based and sexual violence through prevention, education, and awareness efforts. Funding will be directed toward initiatives, events, and research that promote consent and gender-based and sexual violence prevention across the university community, and/or support survivors, in alignment with the mission of the SVPRO. 

• Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Research Microgrant of $1500: The Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Research Microgrant is awarded to candidates or groups and is valued at $1500. This microgrant seeks to encourage the creation and implementation of gender-based and sexual violence prevention focused research that involves collaboration, is accessible in format and design, and has tangible and intersectional community impact. This can include formal research and informal research such as departmental scans and assessments. This microgrant is intended to encourage experimentation, innovation, and development within research that aims to promote gender-based and sexual violence prevention, consent education, and/or support survivors of these types of violence. 
  • •  Examples of eligible projects: needs assessments or environmental scanning of student groups, department, faculty, etc., studies focused on survivor support, human rights focused research, community based participatory action research, arts-based research, focus groups, survey design, individual interviewing, partnered research with off-campus grassroots organizations   

• Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Impact Initiative Microgrant of $1500: The Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Impact Initiative Microgrant is awarded to candidates or groups and is valued at $1500. This microgrant seeks to support new initiatives or projects and initiatives underway that are collaborative, accessible, and gender-based and sexual violence prevention focused. The aim of this microgrant is to support innovative initiatives and projects that take an intersectional approach to gender-based and sexual violence prevention, education, and response, and that is designed with sustainability, feasibility, and longevity in mind. This microgrant seeks to support evidence-based, interdisciplinary projects and partnerships that are aimed at preventing and responding to gender-based and sexual violence within the McMaster community through education, awareness, support, and student, staff, and/or faculty engagement. 

• • • Examples of eligible projects: initiatives that promote discussions about the experiences and needs of marginalised groups and other groups more often targeted by sexual violence (e.g., related to sexual violence, healthy sexuality, etc.); peer support initiatives; creative arts initiatives supporting survivors; staff training sessions; long-term educational campaigns with multiple events, series of art-based educational programming, and other initiatives related to the purpose of the microgrant.  

• Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Community Event Microgrant of $500: The Campus Gender-Based & Sexual Violence Community Event Microgrant is awarded to candidates or group and is valued at $500. This microgrant seeks to support new events that are focused on gender-based and sexual violence prevention education and promoting consent and healthy relationships. The aim of this microgrant is to strengthen a culture of consent, respect, and accountability that empowers all members of the university community to contribute to a safer campus environment. This microgrant looks to support the stimulation of cross-community collaborative events and community learning opportunities that have long-term and sustainable impact on it’s community.  

• • • Examples of eligible projects: interactive consent workshops; healthy masculinity speaker events; panel discussions; events that promote discussions about the experiences and needs of marginalised groups and other groups more often targeted by sexual violence (e.g., related to sexual violence, healthy sexuality, etc.); events focused on consent in digital spaces, film screenings and discussions; storytelling circles; information booths during Consent Action Week; and other events related to the purpose of the microgrant 

• Research, events, or initiatives/projects that are in conceptualization and planning stages or are due to commence within 3 months of microgrant application date (research, events, or initiatives that have already been successfully delivered or completed are not eligible)

• Associated costs for events, initiatives, or research, such as but not limited to:

• Honorariums, guest speaker fees, location booking, communications and promotions, materials and equipment, food and catering, surveying or feedback expenses etc

• Educational and conference-related costs, including tuition fees, conference registration fees, and travel or accommodation for conference attendance.

• Completed projects or initiatives that have already taken place.

• Projects lacking substantive campus impact, including initiatives whose primary benefits do not directly support the campus community.

• Applications requesting funding for more than one event within a single funding cycle.

• Requests to hire Research Assistants (RAs) or similar paid research support roles.

• Stipends

All applicants must adhere to the following requirements:

1. Budget Clarity

   • Applicants must provide a clear and detailed budget outlining how microgrant funds will be allocated.

2. Project Impact

   • Preference will be given to community-based research projects.

   • Research outputs must demonstrate substantive and measurable impact on the campus community.

3. Wellness-Related Initiatives

   • Applications proposing wellness sessions must identify the therapist or wellness service provider for review.

4. Collaboration Requirements

   • Applicants referencing collaboration with campus departments or external partners must contact and obtain confirmation from collaborators prior to including them in the application.

   • Applications must not list collaborators who have not been informed or engaged.

5. Awareness of Existing Initiatives

   • Applicants must indicate whether similar or related projects already exist on campus and clarify how their project is distinct or complementary.

6. Representation and Accountability

   • If the applicant is not a member of the equity-deserving community served by the project, they must outline their relationship to the community and demonstrate appropriate accountability and consultation practices.

All applicants are required to fill out the application form: S4E & GBSV Prevention Microgrants Application form 2026/2027

At the end of application form, you are required to submit a proposal and budget breakdown.

Access the proposal outline and budget breakdown

Students  

• Undergraduate or Graduate Students presently enrolled at McMaster  

• Active and MSU Approved student groups  

• Faculty- Affiliated Student Caucus Groups  

Staff  

• Full time and part-time permanent staff at McMaster  

• Active and departmentally approved or recognized employee resource groups  

• Small staff departments or student front facing services  

• Staff and departmental Equity Committees  

Scholars  

• Early Career Scholars (research and educational capabilities less than 5 years following PhD Completion, post-doctoral appointments)  

• Faculty Affiliated Equity Committee’s  

• A Group of collaborative early career scholars  

Who is Ineligible?  

• Non-McMaster Community Members  

• Scholars that are not* early career:
  • This includes researchers and/or educators beyond 5 years of PhD completion and/or tenured faculty) 

• Contract employees or faculty appointments at McMaster  

• Projects, Initiatives, events or Research with Tri-Council fundings or who have been recipients of induvial or multiple scholarships, bursaries, awards or financial aids that result in funding above 10,000 

• Any proposals where the research, events, or initiative has been successfully completed and finished by the application deadline  

• Black History Month events  

• Departments or resource that are permanent funding

Awesome news and you’re in luck! You can still apply for any of the microgrants to assist in the maintenance and progression of your project/initiative, event or research. However, if all project/initiative, events and/or research has already concluded by the time you apply, then unfortunately you would be deemed ineligible.   

Not to worry! As a part of your application you are asked to identify the financial officer, administrator or lead of your department, faculty or student union group. If you are applying as an individual within a staff department or faculty, it will be your responsibility to identify who within your faculty or department, can assist with accepting funds on behalf of your department and to notify them of your intention to apply for this microgrant. They will be the designated person to assist with transferring funds and distributing the fund to you, in line with their departmental or faculty financial policies. 

Absolutely! Individuals and teams can apply as long as all members meet eligibility criteria. 

Unfortunately, you are unable to apply for multiple streams or microgrants within each respective stream. Please choose one stream and one microgrant within your desired stream to apply to, carefully.

Please note: duplicate applications will be deleted and render you/your team ineligible.  

No problem. If your question pertains to the general EDI microgrant stream and anti-Black Racism microgrant stream please reach out directly to the Anti-Black Racism Program and Initiatives Coordinator at this email: nyambiye@mcmaster.ca   

If you have a question that pertains to the campus GBSV prevention stream, please reach out directly to the Associate Director, Sexual Violence Prevention at this email: khanna50@mcmaster.ca