The William T. Grant Foundation is very pleased to announce the finalists for its 2021 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. Launched in 2017, the Institutional Challenge Grant encourages research institutions to build long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. To do so, research institutions will need to shift their policies and practices to value collaborative research. The program aims to bring research, policy, and practice communities together in ways that advance the use of research evidence and reduce inequality in youth outcomes.
“After a rigorous review, the Institutional Challenge Grant selection committee has invited five finalists from a pool of 36 applications,” said Senior Program Officer Lauren Supplee, who oversees the program. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, these universities are excited about community-engaged research. Research-practice partnerships remain an important avenue for getting research produced and used to address the inequalities that have been exacerbated during the pandemic. This year’s finalists are noteworthy for their range of scholarship and projects, including addressing healthcare needs of Native American youth, reducing discipline disparities, advancing youth workforce development and higher education preparation programming, and reducing education inequities in rural districts.”
This year’s finalists are noteworthy for their range of scholarship and projects
The winning partnership will be announced at the end of March 2021. This announcement will include details about the partnership’s research agenda to reduce inequality, as well as the research institution’s proposed changes in policies and practices to ensure a robust and sustained partnership. The selected institution will receive $650,000 over three years, with the opportunity to apply for a two-year continuation grant to solidify the partnership and institutional changes. The Institutional Challenge Grant is aligned with the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to connect research, policy, and practice. The Spencer Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation have partnered with the William T. Grant Foundation to support the Institutional Challenge Grant program.
The 2021 Institutional Challenge Grant finalists are:
Teresa Brockie, John Hopkins School of Nursing, Karen Yazzie, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and Sean Chandler, Aaniiih Nakoda College
Enhancing Nursing Capacity to Understand and Address the Needs of Native American Youth on the Fort Belknap Reservation
Lisa Hooper, University of Northern Iowa, and Kingsley Botchway, Waterloo Community School District
Culturally Responsive and Ecologically Valid Practices and Policies: Increasing Equitable Educational Outcomes
Rebecca London, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Keisha Browder, United Way of Santa Cruz County
Youth and Undergraduate Transformation to Harness Community Change (YOUTH-C2)
Alicia Modestino, Northeastern University, and Rashad Cope, City of Boston Department of Youth Engagement and Employment
Building a More Holistic and Inclusive Workforce Development System for Boston’s Youth
Marcy Singer-Gabella, Vanderbilt University, and Paul S. Changas, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Co-Designing for Educational Equity: Partnering to Disrupt Racial Inequalities in Nashville
