Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The University of Michigan Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) advances the excellence of research scholarship and creative activity across all three campuses by fostering new research and providing central services. OVPR believes diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical to its mission of catalyzing, supporting, and safeguarding research to serve the world.

DEI Home

DEI Unit Leads

DEI 1.0 Summary

dei strategic plan

DEI Guidance Packages

Training and Education

Common Language

Navigating DEIA Research Together: A Collaborative Roadmap for Success

Moving from Words to Action

True progress in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion requires more than just speaking the right words; it necessitates undertaking purposeful actions to embody these values and integrate them deeply into the very essence of our mission.

Leadership Insights

Kathleen M. O’Sullivan-Cook, Compliance Specialist Associate

How are you progressing from theoretical DEI concepts to actual implementation (Moving from Words to Actions)?
Our unit has made several strides toward implementing our Strategic Plan. We have already begun to research training and events for our staff, and have just booked our first training for August. We have begun to incorporate DEI practices into our hiring, as we brought on two new individuals this past summer. We have also hosted a potluck event that highlighted our diverse staff and explored our DEI Strategic Plan together with our unit.

What are your personal plans and practical strategies to continue enriching your commitment to DEI efforts?
My personal plans include participating in any DEI events on campus or online as I’m able, to better understand the whole of UofM staff and the campus-wide efforts being made. I also have participated in local and regional events that support societal DEI efforts, and stay aware of policy and movements that may affect the people around me.

DEI 2.0 Intended Impacts

The strategic objectives needed to further the university-wide goals of diversity, equity and inclusion have been aggregated into three distal objectives determined by the University: People (Who We Are), Process (What We Do), and Products (Who We Serve)

PEOPLE (Recruit, Retain & Develop a Diverse Community)

Intended Impact: OVPR will work to shift the demographic structure of its faculty, staff, and student constituencies toward greater multidimensional and intersectional diversity and to provide our PEOPLE equitable work environments where everyone can develop, advance, and succeed.

PROCESS (Create an Equitable and Inclusive Campus Climate)

Intended Impact: OVPR will work to ensure that our units and the broader campus research community are places of inclusion, fairness, and safety for all staff, faculty, and students

PRODUCTS (Support an Innovative, Equitable and Inclusive Research Environment)

Intended Impact: OVPR will promote inclusion, enhance equitable outcomes, and increase access throughout our mission to catalyze, support and safeguard research, scholarship, and creative practice.

Official Launch of DEI 2.0 in OVPR

OVPR team members collaborating during the DEI 2.0 launch event. OVPR officially launched its DEI 2.0 strategic plan on October 12 with a celebration event at Palmer Commons’ Great Lakes Room. More than 110 individuals from across OVPR and its units engaged in activities designed to build community, demonstrate the power of diverse thought, and assist with envisioning successful DEI 2.0 unit implementations.

OVPR Unit’s Year 1 DEI 2.0 Timeline

Community Engagement, Reporting, Iterative Planning

DEI 2.0 Year One Highlights

Julius Crooks Jr. (blue sweatshirt) reacts with amazement after the car he built moves fast on the track. Keywan Diggs has a hand over his mouth, and Jason Allen Jr. stands beside him as they wait their turn. MEZ director Haley Hart stands on the right of the photo. Credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering.

MI Hydrogen Initiative – Hydrogen Grand Prix

In an event co-sponsored by the MI Hydrogen Initiative, 27 eighth-grade students from Henderson Academy in Detroit were the first to build and race model hydrogen cars in a Hydrogen Grand Prix SPRINT Workshop. This effort, a joint initiative supported by OVPR, the School for Environment and Sustainability, and the University of Michigan College of Engineering, is one of many that has made a significant impact on the STEM engagement of underrepresented minority students.

Training and Education

As part of DEI 2.0, the DEI Initiatives Team introduced DEI Guidance packages to benefit the entire OVPR Community. These packages consist of thoughtful guidelines that help achieve positive outcomes in various areas pertaining to DEI. Each resource bundle consists of a compilation of recommended practices and DEI-focused implementation strategies on topics associated with specific processes, procedures, or areas of operation across OVPR. This initiative represents an unprecedented step for...

Research faculty symposium

OVPR hosted the first Research Track Faculty Symposium, bringing together faculty members from across the University of Michigan to build community and network, while delivering a series of programmatic topics that will support research-track faculty in their career planning and research success. The symposium aligned with OVPR’s DEI 2.0 strategic objective to fill a critical institutional support gap and provide a more equitable and inclusive experience for all research scientist track...

Minority-Serving Institutions Partnerships Initiative

MSI Partnerships Initiative

OVPR is launching a transformative program to establish equitable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial research collaborations with Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). This pioneering initiative aims to enhance faculty research capabilities while reinforcing OVPR’s leadership role in fostering equity and excellence through strategic partnerships. To engage with the evolving priorities of federal funders, which increasingly emphasize collaborations with MSIs, this initiative is committed to...

NAGRPA’s Honoring & Recommitment Ceremony and Celebration

OVPR’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Office hosted a monumental event that brought together many of the stakeholders with which the U-M NAGPRA Office works, especially its Native Nation Partners. This event included a traditional Anishinaabek Ceremony to recommit doing NAGPRA work in a good way together as relatives with our Native Nation Partners. The event also honored those partners who have guided and supported the U-M NAGPRA Office for the last 14 years....

Interdisciplinary and diverse team of academic researchers.

Advancing Research Equity, DEI Scholarship, and Inclusive Innovation

Promoting a research enterprise that prioritizes equity, diversity, and inclusivity is crucial for fostering exceptional, groundbreaking, and influential scholarly outcomes. As part of DEI 2.0, we are proactively identifying, advocating for, and investing in faculty-driven exploration in areas of scientific discovery that impact DEI and address significant societal challenges. Specifically, we administered the OVPR Anti-Racism Grants program. We also integrated DEI principles more actively...

Current Initiatives

Anti-Racism Grants

OVPR and the National Center for Institutional Diversity’s Anti-Racism Collaborative jointly administer the Anti-Racism Grants program, whose main goal is to support rigorous, innovative, and technically sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities concerning racial equity and justice in society. Learn more about the grants and how to apply.

FY24 Grantees and their projects

University launches initiative with minority-serving institutions

The University of Michigan has launched a new program designed to establish equitable, sustainable and mutually beneficial research collaborations with minority-serving institutions.

Public Engagement Faculty Fellowships

To enhance the societal impact of research emanating from the University of Michigan, the Public Engagement & Research Impacts (PE+RI) team in OVPR is building the capacity necessary for scholars to engage more effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including diverse, historically underserved, and marginalized communities. PE+RI administers the Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship (PEFF), which helps faculty fortify their knowledge and skills to integrate public engagement in their research and scholarship for broad societal impact. Earlier this year, OVPR awarded 15 faculty members from across the University of Michigan this prestigious fellowship. Applications for 2024 fellows will open in early October.