Inclusive Research Excellence Grant Program

Purpose

Lakehead University is committed to creating an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive research environment. Lakehead’s EDI Action Plan outlines the goal “to innovate and lead on EDI knowledge creation and education” (Goal 3). To increase the level of EDI awareness and innovation within the research environment, the Office of Research Services is inviting academic departments and research centres/institutes to submit applications to the Inclusive Research Excellence grant program. This competition aims to foster EDI within the research environment at Lakehead University. All academic departments are invited to apply for a seed grant to launch impactful EDI initiatives inside their academic unit.

The goal of this initiative is to facilitate programs/events that increase EDI knowledge within the university community. With many Tri-Agency grants now requiring concrete EDI plans in each application, these institutional initiatives can also aid researchers with submitting stronger funding applications.

 

Award

A seed grant of up to $3,000 will be awarded to successful applicants from this competition to implement their proposal prior to May 31, 2026 (funding must be spent by May 31, 2026). Expenses may include speaker fees, honoraria, travel for speakers, refreshments and food for EDI events, training fees, etc.  If applicants are unsure if proposed activity expenditures are eligible, please contact Anne Klymenko, Director, Research Services, at aklymenk@lakeheadu.ca. Only one award will be awarded per academic department.

Three to four awards may be given in this competition.

 

Criteria

These initiatives should be creative! For example, the department may host targeted lunch-time group discussions (ie., women in STEM), a journal club related to EDI within the department’s research area (ie., underrepresented groups engaging in field research) or even host a lecture from a distinguished EDI leader in the field. These events should promote discussion within each department and propel the academic unit forward with innovative strategies for incorporating EDI in their area of research.

Each academic department is invited to complete the proposal within the designated Google Form  where the following questions will be answered:

  • An overview of the initiative the department will implement, including:

○       A brief description

○       Proposed time, duration, and length

○       How the funds for this initiative will be spent

○       The estimated attendance of the initiative and who will be invited to attend

  • A detailed description of how the initiative will impact the department’s understanding of EDI

 

Assessment

All applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of individuals from the Offices of Research Services and Human Rights and Equity. The committee will review all applications and make appropriate recommendations to the Vice-President Research and Innovation for allocation of funding.

 

Expectations

If the department is successful in securing funding for its EDI initiative, they are expected to fully use the funds prior to May 31, 2026. Plans for implementation of the initiative must be communicated to the Office of Research Services at least two weeks prior to the launch of the event. The initiative must be advertised widely and be open to the university community.

 

Deadline

The deadline for this application is: January 8, 2026. Any further questions can be directed to Anne Klymenko at aklymenk@lakeheadu.ca.