UBCO Intercultural Excellence Fund
Notice: This fund is set to be discontinued in spring 2023. Applications will no longer be accepted after Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
Fund Overview ($100,000 Amount)
Our world is increasingly interconnected. Learning and understanding how to work and build relationships with individuals from a diversity of cultures is an imperative skill for lifelong learning and success.
The UBCO Intercultural Excellence Fund (UIEF) is established to develop or grow accessible and innovative programming that aid in cultivating intercultural fluency on campus by providing academic units and departments the opportunity to develop or grow initiatives that focus on intercultural learning and experiences that bridge cultures.
Programs, projects or initiatives are intended to highlight the intersection of cultures in the broader Okanagan community through genuine relationship building with students, staff and/or faculty, campus organizations, community partners, and diasporic communities.
A secondary aim of the fund is to foster a culture of collaboration and partnership in the development and growth of initiatives, including partnerships with UBCO student organizations and/or involvement of current UBCO students as part of the UIEF proposal and project.
- Program, project or initiative that encourages cross-cultural engagement and intercultural exchange among students, staff and/or faculty;
- Program, project or initiative are intended to highlight the intersection of cultures in the broader Okanagan community through genuine relationship building with students, staff and/or faculty, campus organizations, community partners, and diasporic communities;
- Initiatives that are student-centered, collaborative, and highlight the voices of student cultural clubs;
- Programming for domestic students to engage in intercultural dialogue through active engagement in activities that bring together both international and domestic students;
- Programming that is designed with anti-racist, intersectional and evidence-based lens;
- Linked to UBC Strategic Plan, Indigenous Strategic Plan, UBC’s Global Engagement Strategy & UBCO Outlook 2040.
Examples of intercultural Initiatives currently underway across the Okanagan Campus include:
- Intercultural Development Program (IDP)
- Intercultural Career Development Program (ICDP)
- Cross-cultural Communication training for graduate students
- Intercultural conflict-resolution for student staff (RA/TA)
- International student orientation to the Syilx Okanagan
- Collaborative events such as Harmony, Desi Dhamaka, African Caribbean Student Club Gala, Taste of Home, Who do we pray for?UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects must contribute to the university’s strategic objectives and create a positive impact within the community by:
- Building a new intercultural initiative
- Increasing the reach of an existing intercultural initiative, program or project
- Replicating, expanding, or adapting an intercultural initiative with a track record of success
Funding Streams
UBCO Intercultural Excellence Fund supports two levels of grant activities.
- Launch Grant ($1,000-$5,000)
- Sustain Grant ($5,000 – $10,000 per year)
This two-tiered system is intended to provide opportunities for creating opportunities for new programming and initiatives focused on intercultural learning and development by either developing new project or scaling existing projects. Launch Grants are provided for a maximum of one (1) year. Sustain Grants are provided for a maximum of two (2) years.
Launch Grant
The purpose of the Launch Grant is to provide faculty and staff with funding to develop new access initiatives.
| Term | 1 year |
| Funding amounts | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Application deadline | Rolling |
Eligibility Criteria
- Developing a new initiative/program that focuses intercultural learning with an opportunity to learn;
- Can be scaled;
- Fosters collaboration across the campus;
- Partnership with a UBCO student group and/or UBCO students; and/or
- Provides experiential learning for underrepresented University of British Columbia Okanagan students through greater interaction with prospective students.
Sustain Grant
The purpose of the Sustain Grant is to provide faculty and staff with an opportunity to scale, grow or enhance an existing intercultural initiative with a goal of demonstrating impact and achieving financial sustainability.
| Term | 1-2 years |
| Funding amounts | $5,000 to $10,000 (per year) |
| Application deadline | Rolling |
Eligibility Criteria
- Increasing the reach of an existing intercultural initiative;
- Replicating, expanding, or adapting an intercultural initiative with a track record of success;
- Fosters collaboration across the campus;
- Partnership with a UBCO student group and/or UBCO students; and/or
- Provides experiential learning for underrepresented University of British Columbia Okanagan students through greater interaction with prospective students.
Composition of Approval Committee
- AVP Students
- AVPS Finance Manager
- 1 Inclusion Action Plan representative
- 1 Indigenous Programs & Services representative
- 1 International Programs & Services representative
- 1 Student Union representative
- 1 Faculty representative
Application Process
The application process is conducted entirely online using the provided submission form. No hard copy or email submissions will be accepted. Please complete the following steps prior to completing the online application:
- Familiarize with the UBCO Intercultural Excellence Fund (UIEF) aims and goals
- Download the UIEF Template Proposal Form
- Download the UIEF Budget Template
- Collect all of your information required within the two forms; and,
- Submit your application by email to avps.ok@ubc.ca with the Proposal Form and Budget Template attached
Note on COVID-19
Given recent developments in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants should consider how in-person activities may be affected in the near future. We recommend that you address this in your proposal and highlight how you will implement your programming given these considerations.
Contact
Questions regarding the forms or the application process should be directed to the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Students at avps.ok@ubc.ca.
