DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JUNE 22

The UCLA Initiative to Study Hate (ISH) is pleased to announce its fourth call for proposals to continue our campus-wide, cross-disciplinary undertaking to study hate. Complementing a number of continuing large-scale projects, our Research Innovation Fund will support projects that range in scale from $5,000 (intended as seed funding) to $20,000 during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Description

This year, the Initiative invites research proposals that examine and/or focus on mitigation strategies to address group-based hate and/or hatred as it takes rise in individuals and/or groups. ISH is committed to supporting projects that range across disciplines (including but not restricted to the social sciences, humanities, arts, law, education, information and computer sciences, and physical, cognitive, and health sciences). A wide array of methods, including both qualitative and quantitative as well as cross-disciplinary approaches are encouraged, as are projects that demonstrate collaborations with other researchers across campus. Projects that focus on the internet and hate, political violence and hate, masculinities and hate, or the intersection thereof, are especially welcome.

This year the Initiative to Study Hate will be focused on projects that have tangible research outcomes that can lead to anti-hate mitigation/interventions.  Given ISH’s close connection to the UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute, we are also interested in proposals that integrate  compassion and kindness into their research design. Priority will be given to projects that can achieve demonstrable outcomes within a year. To that end, preference will be give to projects that:

• Have the potential for demonstrable outcomes within a year
• Involve (1) research on compassion-driven anti-hate interventions and/or (2) partnerships with community organizations focused on compassion-driven anti-hate interventions (e.g. restorative justice, anti-recidivism efforts, arts-based interventions, healthy masculinity programming, responsible/ethical AI, etc.).

Expectations of Grantees

The project PI must be available to attend the monthly, in-person ISH seminar to encourage ongoing and productive cross-fertilization across disciplines and methods. Applicants who cannot commit to participating in the in-person seminar should not apply.  In addition, we expect ISH researcher team members to participate in the following activities:

1. Quarterly ISH-sponsored events on campus
2. Opportunities to engage in outreach work with ISH extramural partners that include nonprofit and governmental organizations committed to fighting hate (e.g., presenting or providing research progress, participating on panels, etc., on behalf of ISH)

Guidelines

• Projects can include individual PIs or teams of researchers
• Even if your research project does not involve a collaboration with a community practitioner or organization, you should identify in your proposal at least 3 community partners with whom you plan to share your findings upon completion (e.g. who is the intended audience of your research?)
• Funding can be used to support research that will result in a creative project
• Funding cannot be used for faculty salary support, while support for students and postdoctoral scholars is encouraged
• Funding can be used to support research travel

Application Process

Applications should include the following:

1. Project Title
2. Project Abstract (up to 200 words)
3. Project Description (up to 1250 words)
4. Project Budget (funds may not be used for faculty salary support)
5. CVs of participants
6. Name/Contact information of the department’s finance officer (who will be responsible for receiving and managing the transfer, as well as submitting a close-out report)

Please note that all funds need to be spent in compliance with University policies and procedures. The applicant’s home department must endorse the Principal Investigator and will be responsible for managing funds.

The deadline for proposals is June 22, 2025

For questions about proposals, please contact Professor David N. Myers at myers@history.ucla.edu.

Applications should be submitted online HERE.