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HSI Funding

How is UC Davis charting a path toward becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution?

To learn more about the full scope of our efforts to become an HSI, visit the HSI Homepage.

How will our future HSI status affect my ability to get funding?

For most researchers at UC Davis, our future HSI status can affect your funding prospects in two ways: (1) by granting access to HSI-specific funding opportunities, and (2) by increasing your competitiveness for general funding opportunities.

  • HSI-specific funding opportunities: Several major federal agencies (NSF, NIH, DoEd, NEH, and more) have allocated funds for HSI-specific grant programs. Only officially-designated Hispanic Serving Institutions are eligible to apply for these funds. This means that, as a faculty member at an HSI, you will soon have access to new funding opportunities. For opportunities in your field, sign up for the Office of Research’s Weekly Research Funding Updates.

How will I be able to appropriately reference our HSI status in my grant applications when the time comes? Where in the applications should I reference it?

Most programs that you are applying to require proof of our official designation as an HSI. When that time comes, please contact the Interdisciplinary Research Support (IRS) team in the Office of Research for the proper documentation.

Will I need to do research on Hispanic communities to receive HSI funding?

No. The purpose of the HSI program is not to change the research our faculty do – the purpose is to increase the ability of Hispanic students to gain access to (and experience with) that research. So as long as you include plans to incorporate Hispanic students into your education and outreach activities, researchers and scholars of any discipline should feel welcome to apply for HSI funding.

  • Institutional transformation grants: The one exception to this general rule is for institutional transformation grants. These are large, multimillion-dollar grants supporting research or new interventions related to the recruitment and retention of Hispanic students. Funding agencies providing IT grants include NSF, USDA, NEH, and the Department of Education.
  • Because these grants must be coordinated at the campus-wide level, faculty interested in submitting an institutional transformation grant should contact Mark López, Chief of Staff, for further information.

Doesn’t Proposition 209 prevent us from creating education or outreach programs for specific groups of underrepresented students?

Proposition 209, a 1996 voter initiative now codified in the California State Constitution, prevents state institutions (including the UC) from granting preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin (read the full text here).

For further guidance on Prop 209, please consult the 2015 guidelines published by UCOP.

Is anyone on campus available to help me write my proposal?

There are numerous resources on campus to help you write any kind of grant proposal, including those related to HSI opportunities.

If you want to: