The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been awarded a $1 million, three-year ADVANCE grant from the NSF to promote equity and inclusivity among underrepresented STEM faculty. The I-ADVANCE project aims to address disparities in faculty recognition, increase accountability for equity-focused decision-making, and improve departmental climates to foster diversity and inclusion.

Key initiatives under the grant include a “Faculty Workload Dashboard” to monitor teaching and service responsibilities, a “Faculty Fellow” program to engage tenured faculty in equity work, and an “Advocates and Allies” program to promote peer-driven efforts toward inclusive academic environments. 

Eva Pomerantz, CSBS Director, will serve as the internal evaluator for the project. In this role, working with CSBS staff, she will assess the success of the I-ADVANCE initiatives and provide feedback to guide ongoing improvements. The evaluation work will help the project meet its goals and cultivate long-term systemic change in STEM departments.

The first step in the evaluation will be a campus climate micro-survey for faculty in the 43 STEM departments across campus, which includes many of the social and behavioral sciences. The micro-survey takes only five minutes to complete and is important in ensuring that the I-Advance work promotes equity and inclusivity on our campus. Stay tuned for the micro-survey and please take the time to complete it. 

CSBS’ research support capabilities include evaluation services, in addition to assisting with grant development, identifying potential collaborators, and finding funding opportunities.