Project Grant 2411640

This Project Grant award, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) program, supports the development and pilot testing of the Equity Departmental Action Team (EDAT) model for advancing racial equity in STEM departments at a minority-serving institution.

The $564,214 award will fund a collaborative project between experts in institutional change and racial equity to create and refine the EDAT model, which aims to shift departmental cultures in ways that benefit and are grounded in the experiences of individuals with historically marginalized racial and ethnic identities. The project will be conducted in two phases: 1) developing the EDAT model by integrating existing change programs and theoretical frameworks, and 2) piloting the model within STEM departments at the University of Colorado Denver. Research activities will examine the process and impact of the EDAT approach, focusing on how it prepares members, the strategies they deploy, and the extent to which racial equity is integrated into departmental culture. The project will disseminate the refined EDAT model through partnerships with national higher education associations.