About the Program
The In Defense of Black Studies Small Grants Program is accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff at UC Berkeley conducting projects that affirm and model the significance of Black study in light of the recently reinvigorated attacks against it. These grants of up to $1,000 will support research, teaching, curriculum development, and related projects drawing on our theme. We welcome proposals from across campus that are collaborative, and we are particularly interested in funding public scholarship efforts. Some examples might include curatorial projects, poetry chapbooks, interdisciplinary course development, oral history projects, public syllabi, TikTok or Instagram series, and built-environment projects. Applications are now open and will close September 26th at 5:00 pm.
Eligibility
Applications are open to faculty affiliated with UC Berkeley, any student currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree granting program at UC Berkeley, or a staff member employed by UC Berkeley. Proposals that support dissertation or thesis research are strongly encouraged. Additionally, to encourage sustainable demographic transformation of the institution, we encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.
Application Requirements
Applications are due by 5:00 pm PST on Friday, September 26, 2025.
Student application requirements:
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A completed application form.
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A finished faculty reference form, completed by your faculty mentor or sponsor. Please note: the faculty reference form must be completed by the September 26th application deadline. Please make sure your faculty mentor is aware of this deadline.
Faculty and staff application requirements:
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A completed application form.
The application form includes the following sections:
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Project abstract (200 words)
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Project description (up to 750 word or a 3-minute video), include a description of the collaboration if applicable
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Project budget
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Timeline for project completion
Please note: we will only accept one application per project. If more than one application is submitted for the same project, the committee will only consider the first application submitted.
Application Support Materials
Please see the following materials available to support you as you prepare your application:
- Sample budget and timeline spreadsheet. Please see the second tab for the timeline. You may create a copy of the sheet and use it to prepare your own version.
- Slides from our information sessions with additional information about the program.
- A recording of the information session is available upon request to: bmontano14@berkeley.edu
Grant Period
Grants will be awarded for a period of seven months, from October 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026. Grand funds must be spent by March 31, 2026. Grant payments will be managed according to the applicant's campus status:
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For undergraduate and graduate students: You will receive a research award in the form of a stipend payment. You will be expected to spend the total award by March 31, 2026.
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For faculty: You will receive a research award via a funding transfer, to be made available in your research funding account. Funding will be available until March 31, 2026. After March 31st, any remaining funds will be pulled back to the Banned Scholars Project.
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For staff: You will receive project funding in the form of a funding transfer to your home department. Funding will be available until March 31, 2026. After March 31st, any remaining funds will be pulled back to the Banned Scholars Project.
Use of Grant Funds
Grants are intended to be used for direct costs related to your proposed project. The funding may support your project in a variety of ways, including travel, materials, and supplies related to your specific project. Here are some examples of how the grant funding can be used include:
- Purchasing books related to your research
- Purchasing plane tickets to travel to an archive for your project
- Purchasing supplies to create an art installation for your project
- Paying an honorarium or similar payment to a collaborator who contributes to your project
Grant funding may not be used for:
- Purchases not related to your project, such as personal living expenses.
- Making a personal profit on the project.
Grantee Reporting
Grantees will be required to report on their project by completing:
- A one-paragraph narrative budget report, due by April 15, 2026. The budget report will be completed via a form sent to grantees in advance.
- A short narrative report or video report describing the results of the project, due by April 15, 2026.