Research Enhancement Office

Overview

Purpose

The Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activities (ORCA), in collaboration with the Institute of American Cultures (IAC), offers Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) Seed Grants designed to help launch and support research projects demonstrably centered on exploring the sources and consequences of racial inequities and social justice.

A successful submission should propose excellent and original research and/or creative activities that substantially engages with the areas of racial equity and social justice. The proposal should articulate the relevance and impact of the proposed project within, and potentially beyond, its given field. For proposals that include Co-PIs or other key collaborators, each individual’s expertise should clearly contribute to developing a racial equity and social justice oriented project.

Grant funds may be used to advance a work-in-progress or to catalyze a new endeavor. In both cases, the PI should not have previously been awarded major research funding for the proposed project. Potential uses of the grants include, but are not limited to:

• Development of proof-of-concepts
• Collection of pilot data
• Archival research
• Drafting of white papers
• Study of campus climate issues
• Creation of functional prototypes
• Development of preliminary art and multimedia work
• Training programs that allow the research team to be competitive for future funding

A primary goal of the Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants is to facilitate investigators’ preparedness for attaining extramural funding. Projects are expected to be sufficiently developed to demonstrate how the receipt of an RSJ grant will increase competitiveness for future extramural funding (with the recognition that the project development phase may require additional time beyond the RSJ grant period).

As part of this program’s aim to advance academic research, it is expected that awardees will leverage available campus resources and tools to build and broaden their knowledge of the grant development process. This may include participating in workshops/activities hosted by ORCA and/or IAC focused on building researchers capacity to support their work. In addition, awardees are encouraged to consider meeting with staff in UCLA offices with expertise in foundation relations and individual philanthropy.

Background

As a multi-year commitment, the Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants were established as part of the Rising to the Challenge (RTC) initiative announced in June 2020. Projects supported by RSJ grants are expected to advance the goals of the RTC initiative by enhancing UCLA’s commitment to studying Black life, racial equity, and social justice. Proposals for RSJ funding should articulate specifically how the proposed project fulfills this aim.

This is the fifth cycle of the Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants. Information about previous recipients can be found at the link below.

View Previous RSJ Recipients

Award Information

Award Amount

Applications may request up to $30,000.

A total of approximately $250K in funding is available. It is anticipated that 8-10 projects will be funded.

Reviewers may elect to provide partial funding to a project. Applicants are encouraged to make their budget breakdowns and justifications clear and comprehensible to help reviewers determine partial funding amounts, if needed.

Period of Performance

Awardees should plan for a project period of approximately 18 months (inclusive of the time needed to complete any required IRB/ARC process).

Awardees should plan to use all funds by December 31, 2026. The award period will run through June 30, 2027 to accommodate unexpected delays. Requests for a no-cost extension beyond this date will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Awardees should plan to complete any required IRB/ARC processes within 4 months of the award notification date. Any need for additional time should be communicated to program staff at orcafunding@conet.ucla.edu

Award Disbursement

It is anticipated that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by August 2025.

Award funds will be transferred to a UCLA account for the awardee. Prior to submitting a proposal, the PI should ensure they have identified the UCLA department that will receive and administer any awarded funds.

Funds will be distributed in a timely manner upon receipt of a completed award acceptance form and any required IRB/ARC documentation. In exceptional circumstances, a partial transfer of the award funds may be considered to allow the initiation of parts of the project not subject to IRB approval (e.g. hiring, IRB material preparation).

Award funds must be used in accordance with the submitted budget.

Award funds must be used in compliance with all university policies and procedures.

Awardee Requirements

Awardees are expected to communicate with the program staff in a timely manner regarding any questions or issues related to their award. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Extension requests
• Substantive changes to the scope of the project
• Proposed changes to the PI or Co-PI
• Budget reallocations to items/categories not included in the application budget

It is expected that awardees will leverage available campus resources and tools to build and broaden their knowledge of the grant development process. As needed, PIs, Co-PIs and/or project teams should be prepared and willing to attend meetings with program staff and/or other UCLA offices.

PIs will be responsible for submitting a final report outlining the outcomes of the project. Program staff will contact awardees with additional information regarding reporting requirements and documentation prior to the completion of the grant period.

Awardees may be asked to serve as reviewers for future cycles of the RSJ Grants program and/or other ORCA internal funding programs.

The UCLA Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Creative Activities (ORCA) and the Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants program must be credited in any work product resulting from this funding.

Eligibility

PI Eligibility

Each application must have a single Principal Investigator (PI). The PI should be the individual who has primary responsibility for the conception, execution, and administration of the project. It is expected that the PI will personally participate in the project to a significant degree. The PI will serve as the primary contact for all communications from the RSJ program staff.

The PI must hold a UCLA appointment as of 7/1/2025 that is a member of the Academic Senate (See UC Regents Standing Order 105.1 and UCLA Academic Senate).

Individuals may serve as the PI on only one submission to this program, but may serve as a Co-PI or project team member on other submissions.

Co-PI Eligibility

Projects may have up to four Co-PIs. Individuals listed as Co-PIs should include those who will personally participate in the project to a significant degree. 

Co-PIs must hold a UCLA appointment (e.g. student, staff, faculty) as of 7/1/2025.

Contributors to the project who are not eligible to serve as a Co-PI should be included in the application as part of the project team.

Previous Awardee Eligibility

Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) Grant Awardees

Prior recipients of funding through the Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants program may apply for funding for a different project, provided they do not have an active award through the RSJ program. An active award is any award for which the project period has not ended (including any time added to the project period due to a no-cost extension).

Awardees of Other ORCA Funding

The same project is not eligible to receive funding through multiple ORCA programs. Projects that have already received funding through any of the following programs are not eligible for submission:

• Transdisciplinary Research Acceleration Grants (TRAG)

• Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants (RSJ)
• Latinx Studies Seed Grants (LSS)
• ORCA Acceleration Grants (OAG)

Applicants with current or past funding through other ORCA programs are eligible to apply for funding for a different project. However, reviewers may take into consideration whether an applicant has received funding through an ORCA program in the past.

Awardees of Other Funding

Projects currently funded by major research awards (over $30,000) are not eligible for consideration. Should any aspect of a proposal receive alternative funding, the PI must notify the program contact (orcafunding@conet.ucla.edu) as soon as possible.

Proposals that build off other funded work are eligible, but the application should describe how the proposal is distinct from existing funded work.

Applications to Multiple ORCA Funding Programs

The same project may not be submitted to more than one ORCA funding opportunity in the same cycle. 

An individual may serve as a PI on only one application to either the Latinx Studies Seed (LSS) Grant program or the RSJ program in a single application cycle. 

While an overlap exists between the RSJ and LSS call for proposals, scholars whose research has explicit focus on or implications for Latinx populations in the USA are encouraged to apply to the LSS program. If you are unsure which ORCA funding opportunity aligns most clearly with your project, please contact orcafunding@conet.ucla.edu.

An individual may serve in a role other than PI (e.g. Co-PI, project team member) on multiple applications to both programs.

Eligibility Questions

If you have questions about eligibility, please contact orcafunding@conet.ucla.edu prior to submitting an application.

Budget Information

Use of Funds

Funds must be used for direct research and/or creative activity costs such as materials, supplies, personnel (including student and staff salaries), and travel to the extent that such expenses are directly related to the proposed project.

Proposed activities and expenditures must comply with all applicable university policies and procedures.

Allowable Expenses

The following are allowable expenses:

• Personnel, including staff/student salaries and fee remissions
• Travel and accommodations
• Materials and supplies directly related to conducting the proposed research/creative activity
• Community partner expenses, including compensation for community partners, outreach expenses, etc.
• Open Access publishing fees of up to $7,000

Unallowable Expenses

The following are unallowable expenses:

• UCLA-based faculty/PI salaries or support, including teaching buy-outs or summer ninths
• Departmental overhead costs (indirect costs). 
• Seminars, courses, or curricular development
• Conferences or conference support, workshops, or training programs 
• Publishing subventions 
  • NOTE: Open Access publishing fees of up to $7,000 may be included

Submission Information

Applications must be submitted by Monday, June 2, 2025 at 11:59pm PT.

All proposals must be submitted through the RSJ application portal. Applicants should access the application using the “UCLA Login” option, which will prompt the user to login using their single sign-on credentials.

Access Application Portal

Submission Instructions

The application is divided into three sections. See below for the required information and materials for each section. The application does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved as a draft.

Section I: Application Form

The application form is divided with the following headings and will request the information listed below to be entered into the appropriate field.

PI Information

Each application must have a single Principal Investigator (PI). The PI should be the individual who has primary responsibility for the conception, execution, and administration of the project.

• Biographical information (Name, email, title, school/division, department)
• Eligibility confirmation
• Previous ORCA funding for PI and/or project (through TRAG, OAG, RSJ, LSS)
• UCLA department to administer grant funds [NOTE: This can be changed if the project is awarded, but the PI should ensure they have identified a UCLA department that can receive and administer any awarded funds.]

Co-PI Information (Optional)

An application may have up to four Co-PIs. Individuals listed should include those who will personally participate in the project to a significant degree. In certain instances, a Co-PI may also have some responsibility for the execution and/or administration of the project.

• Biographical information for Co-PIs (Name, email, title, affiliation)

Project Team Information (Optional)

Contributors to the project who are not eligible to serve as a Co-PI can be included in the application as part of the project team.

• A list of project team members (Name, title, affiliation) can be uploaded as a pdf

Application Information

• Proposal title
• Project abstract (150 words max)
• Other project funding (if applicable)
  • NOTE: Proposals that build off other funded work are eligible, but the application should describe how the proposal is distinct from existing funded work. Projects currently funded by major research awards (over $30,000) are not eligible for consideration. 

The application information above does not need to be included in the Project Narrative document.

Section II: Uploads

The application will have fields to upload each of the following documents. Only one file may be uploaded in each field

Project Narrative

6-page maximum (excluding references), double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 pt. font minimum 

The project narrative should be written so that it is understandable by reviewers from a variety of disciplines.

In a single pdf document, please include the following information (with section headings):

• Research/Creative Activities Proposal
  • Statement of question/issue to be addressed
  • Current state of knowledge
  • Methodology or approach(es) to be used, with sufficient detail to demonstrate project feasibility
  • Aims or specific outcomes anticipated from the project
• Relevance, Impact, and Alignment with Campus Priorities
  • Relevance and impact of the proposed project within (and potentially beyond) its scholarly field to advance research on racial and social justice
  • Potential of the project to generate broader impacts outside of scholarly fields and to increase public awareness of research on racial and social justice
  • Proposed project’s alignment with campus priorities articulated in the Rising to the Challenge initiative, including supporting and promoting scholarship that harnesses UCLA’s expertise to address issues of racial and social justice in our community and beyond
• Current Progress and Funding Potential
  • Summary of existing work on the project to date
  • Overview of any funding already secured for the proposed project or closely related projects
  • Description of how RSJ funding would position the project to pursue extramural funding, including identification of possible target funders, programs, or calls for proposals
• Timeline and Outcomes
  • Timeline of activities, milestones, and anticipated outcomes.
  • NOTE: Specific dates are not required, but the timeline should align with the funding period for this program (approximately 18 months)

Fair Collaboration Plan

250 words maximum

This document should include the following:

• Description of the PI’s the plan to ensure fair collaboration practices for the project team as relevant, including (but not limited to) in relation to gender, career-stage/rank (especially with regard to junior faculty), participation of students, and community partners
• Evidence of the PI’s experience with these practices in previous collaborations should be included, as relevant.

CVs / Biosketches / Other Equivalents

Provide a version of this document for the PI and any Co-PIs. This document is not required for project team members, but may be included if the information would be important for the reviewers to have (e.g. to understand the source of needed expertise, to support the feasibility of completing the proposed project, etc.)

If multiple CVs/Biosketches/Other equivalents are to be included, they should be combined into a single pdf for upload, with the PI’s document first.

There are no formatting requirements, as practices may vary across disciplines. However, applicants are asked to keep the document to a reasonable length. In general, this document should make it evident to reviewers that the PI and any Co-PIs possess the qualifications to carry out the proposed project. 

Section III: Budget Form

Applicants will enter budget information directly into the final section of the submission form.

All budget items should be included in one of four budget categories:

• Staff/Student Personnel
• Travel
• Research / Creative Activity Expenses
• Other Expenses

In addition to entering the total amount requested for the project, for each budget category in which there are costs, applicants should provide the following:

• Requested amount in category
• Breakdown/description of the costs
• Justification for why the costs are necessary to complete the proposed project. 

When preparing the budget, keep in mind the following:

• Allowable/unallowable expenses for this program (see "Award Information" tab for details).
• The maximum award amount is $30,000.
• Reviewers may elect to provide partial funding to a project. Clear budget information and justifications can help reviewers to determine possible partial funding amounts.

Animal Activities / Human Subject Review

Projects involving animal or human subjects require appropriate review board(s) approval prior to the release of funds. The approvals or waivers will need to reference the applicable funding mechanism. Program staff must receive a copy of this documentation prior to the disbursement of award funds.

Please do not seek IRB/ARC approval for any work to be funded specifically through this grant program until after award notification.

For more information, please refer to the relevant UCLA office:

• Human Subjects – PIs must determine whether human subjects are involved in their project and if there is the need for Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. For information about submission requirements, available training, and applicable policies and procedures, please refer to the Office of the Human Research Protection Program website.
• Animal Activities – Research activities involving animals must receive approval from the Animal Research Committee (ARC). 

Application Review

Initial Screening

Program staff will conduct an initial screen of applications to confirm eligibility and completeness. The PI will be contacted if there are any questions.

Review Criteria

Project descriptions should be understandable by reviewers from a variety of disciplines.

Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Excellence: The proposed project advances excellent and original work within the areas of racial equity and social justice, promoting the university’s commitment to generating new knowledge and new understanding on these issues.
• Relevance and Intellectual Impact: The proposed project has relevance and impact within (and potentially beyond) its given scholarly field and will advance ongoing and/or emerging research within the areas of racial equity and social justice. Examples of relevance and intellectual impact include (but are not limited to): expanding or deepening current understanding within a given field(s); producing or exploring new data; using existing data or studies in an innovative way; challenging conventional approaches or understandings within an established body of work or discipline.
• Broader Impacts/Increasing Public Awareness: The proposed project has the potential to generate broader impacts outside scholarly fields and to increase public awareness of UCLA’s impacts in the areas of racial equity and social justice research. Examples of these include (but are not limited to): broadening participation of under-represented groups; translating research findings for public benefit; increasing public knowledge about social justice and/or racial equity; providing previously unavailable opportunities to engage with research related to the study of racial equity and social justice.
• Alignment with Campus Priorities: The proposal makes a compelling case for how the project will advance goals articulated as part of the Rising to the Challenge initiative, including supporting and promoting scholarship that harnesses UCLA’s expertise to address issues of racial and social justice in our community and beyond.
• Feasibility: The proposed activities are feasible when weighing factors like the requested budget, the timeline, the methodology used, and the qualifications of the PI/Co-PIs/Project team.
• Potential for Extramural Support: Funding through an RSJ award would position the project to pursue extramural funding and continue with further scholarship in this area.
• Fair Collaboration Plan: The proposal includes a well-defined plan for fair collaboration practices.

Program Preferences

Preference will be given to projects with one or more of the following attributes:

• PI/project has not received previous funding through RSJ or other ORCA mechanisms.
• Project team includes UCLA students.