The Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity invites proposals for projects related to the advancement of the CRE2 research mission and the 2020-2024 CRE2 Programmatic Themes. CRE2 will award Seed Grants of up to $15,000 per grant project. The principal aim of this program is to assist in the development of research ideas (e.g. preliminary analyses, pilot studies, conceptual schemas, archival work, etc.) that have the potential to significantly enhance scientific and cultural methodologies and to garner external research support. Priority will be given to research projects that include the following criteria:

  • Facilitate multidisciplinary research linkages and establish collaborative research partnerships across campuses and academic/research units, or with local, national and international organizations and agencies
  • Include early career faculty or “new” investigators (those who have not previously obtained external funding) as principal or co-principal investigators
  • Support undergraduate or graduate assistance in the completion of research activities
  • Focus on areas of critical interest to CRE2, the campus, and St. Louis community
  • Have not previously received CRE2 grant support, with the exception of Small Grants

To amplify research, the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity has partnered with the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy to expand the impact of research seed grants. 

Eligibility

Only CRE2 Faculty Affiliates are eligible to apply for grants under this program. Eligibility is limited to one CRE2 grant program per year as principal investigator, with the exception of the Small Grants program.

Grant Submission, Notification, and Award Period

The submission cycle for Seed Grants is currently open until April 8, 2024.

Project award periods are for 12 months beginning July 1, 2024, with an extension of up to 6 months available upon grantee request and approval from CRE2 leadership.

Proposal Format

Proposals must include an Abstract and the following sections: Overview/Aims (200 words); Significance and Innovation (200 words); Project Description (800 words); Timeline; Budget and Budget Rationale; current CVs for all investigators; and (if applicable) references, description of any human subjects, and appendices.

The Project Description section should (1) describe how the work supported by the Seed Grant relates to the scope of a project proposal that will be submitted for extramural funding, and how the Seed Grant funding will lead to increased competitiveness in obtaining those funds; and (2) include subsections on Foundational Perspectives, Research Questions/Inspiration, Methods, and Data/Materials.

All Seed Grant research proposals that are approved for funding and involve the use of human subjects must obtain appropriate human subjects approval through the University’s Institutional Review Board before funds are disbursed.

Budget Guidelines

Project budgets may request up to $15,000 in direct costs to support any activity that directly relates to the successful conduct of the project. There are no indirect costs paid on CRE2 Grants. Budget items may include support for data entry, interviews, data acquisition, access to restricted-use data, travel costs related to data collection or meetings with collaborators, space rental, salary compensation or contribution to research accounts (salary and compensation should be kept to less than 20% of the award amount), artist stipends, creative materials, curatorial support, editing, and graduate and undergraduate research assistance. The Center will not pay for computer equipment when that computing can reasonably be accomplished with the existing equipment on campus. Unspent funding at the end of the project period will revert to the CRE2 Grant pool unless a request for a time extension is submitted and CRE2 Co-directors approve the request. Budget Rationales should include outside resources (if any) that will be used to achieve the aims of the project.

Seed Grant Multipliers

To amplify research, the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity is partnering with the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy to expand the impact of research seed grants.

Weidenbuam Center on the economy, governemnt, and public policy

The Weidenbaum Center is a research institute at Washington University in St. Louis that supports social scientific research in the fields of economics, political science, and sociology. The Weidenbaum Center funds faculty research, provides administrative support for research activities, and sponsors a wide range of public affairs programs. The Weidenbaum Center serves as a bridge between scholars, policymakers, and the general public. Through scientific research and events informed by rigorous scholarship, the Weidenbaum Center addresses many of the pressing issues facing America and the world today.

Seed Grant proposals that seek funding for a social science research project and include a PI or Co-PI in economics, political science, and/or sociology1, may apply for matching funds of up to $15,000, increasing the total seed grant award to up to $30,000.

To apply for matching funds please include an additional Weidenbaum Matching Funds Budget and Weidenbaum Matching Funds Budget Rationale. Projects proposing matching funds will also be reviewed by the Weidenbaum leadership team.

1. The PI or Co-PI must have an appointment in the department of Economics, Political Science, or Sociology to be eligible for these matching funds.

Review and Selection

The CRE2 Leadership Team will screen all submitted proposals to determine whether the proposals meet the program’s goals. Proposals will be reviewed by a Grant Selection Committee. In addition to the preferences mentioned above, the following prioritized criteria will be used in evaluating the proposals:

  1. The overall quality and significance of the proposed research
  2. The potential of the proposed research to be expanded into an externally funded grant
  3. The proposed research has received a favorable review from a funding agency and needs additional resources for resubmission (please include Summary Statement with reviewer comments)
Monitoring and Grantee Obligations

The Center will monitor progress on Seed Grant projects. Grantees will provide an expense report upon request. Grantees will submit a final progress report including any grant proposals, publications, exhibitions, or other scholarly products submitted or in preparation within one (1) month after the end date of their Seed Grant period and will notify CRE2 of any proposals, exhibitions, and other scholarly products subsequently submitted or awarded/accepted. It is expected that an external grant proposal will be submitted no later than eight (8) months from the completion of the Seed Grant period. Grantees’ papers and publications will acknowledge the CRE2 Seed Grant program using the statement, “This work has been funded by the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity at Washington University in St. Louis Seed Grant program, but the views remain those of the authors.”


2023 Awardees

TOUCH. HEAL. LOVE.: Black Men’s Health and Well-being
Marlon Bailey

Marlon Bailey

Profesor of African and African American Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Ballroom Culture
Black LGBT Studies
Black Queer Theory
HIV/AIDS
Intersectionality
Performance
Sexual Health

 

 

Keon McGuire

Keon McGuire

Associate Professor of Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice, North Carolina State University


The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Anti-Black Interpersonal Bias Among Medical Students in an Academic Medical Center

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Donna Jeffe

Donna Jeffe

Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine/Department of Medicine

Critical Race Theory
Education
Gender
Health Disparities

Kaytlin Reedy-Rogier

Kaytlin Reedy-Rogier

Director of Health Equity and Justice, Medical School

Anti-Racism Education
Education Interventions
Health Disparities
Health Equity


Perspectives of Black Peer Coaches on the Barriers and Facilitators to Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder and Commonly Occurring Mental Health Disorders

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Hannah  Szlyk

Hannah Szlyk

Instructor Research Faculty, School of Medicine, Psychiatry

Health equity
Interventions
Mental health
Mobile health
Public Health Critical Race praxis
Recovery support services
Substance use

Patricia Cavazos

Patricia Cavazos

Professor, Psychiatry

Health disparities
Mental health
Psychiatric disorders
Technology-based interventions
Epidemiology

Husain Lateef

Husain Lateef

Assistant Professor at the Brown School

Adolescent Development, African-Centered Theory, Black Youth, Cultural Socialization, Juvenile Justice, Post-Conviction Law & Social Work Practice


2022 Awardees

A Pilot Study to Explore the Feasibility and Acceptability of the Fathers First Initiative to Improve Paternal Involvement in Maternal and Infant Health

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Jesse Davis

Jesse Davis

Senior Clinical Advisor for Infant and Maternal Health Initiatives at the BJC Healthcare Office of Community Health Improvement

Infant Mortality Prevention/Disparities, Maternal Health, Implementation Science, Health Equity, Prematurity, Health Economics & Policy, Social Impact

Tyriesa Howell

Tyriesa Howell

Assistant Professor, Brown School

Exploring the Engagement of Father Involvement on the Culture of Infant and Maternal Health in NICU Settings 


Refugee Success: Developing Refugee-Grounded Definitions and Measurement

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Margot Moinester

Margot Moinester

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Health, Immigration, Inequality, Law, Policing and Social Control

Ilana Seff

Ilana Seff

Research Assistant Professor, Brown School

Gender-based violence
Humanitarian settings
Intersectionality
Mental health
Mixed methods
Refugee well-being
Social norms

Lindsay Stark

Lindsay Stark

Associate Dean of Global Programs/Professor, Brown School

Gender norms
Gender-based violence
Global child protection
Psychosocial well-being
Refugees and displaced populations
Violence prevention


Migration and Racial Representation in St. Louis County since 1970
Brian Crisp

Brian Crisp

Professor of Political Science

Electoral Rules, Representation, Legislatures, School Boards, City Councils

Matthew Gabel

Matthew Gabel

Professor of Political Science

Alzheimer Disease, Electoral Politics, Health Disparities, Migration Quantitative Methods, Race and Political Representation, Urban Politics


2021 Awardees

African Centered Cultural Socialization Scale for Black Youth: A Preliminary Investigation of Reliability and Criterion Validity

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Sean Joe

Sean Joe

Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development

Husain Lateef

Husain Lateef

Assistant Professor, Brown School


Is America’s Democracy at Risk? Inter-Racial and Intra-Racial Differences in Support for Democratic Institutions and Processes

Multiplier: The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy

James Gibson

James Gibson

Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government


Characterizing Contextual Change and Its Impact on Health Behaviors, Mental Health, and Quality of Life Among Latin American Immigrants in St. Louis

Multiplier: Institute for Public Health

Deborah Salvo Dominguez

Deborah Salvo Dominguez

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Leopoldo  J Cabassa

Leopoldo J Cabassa

Associate Professor of Social Work