The Office of the Provost Diversity and Inclusion team, in partnership with the Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, invites submissions for the 2025-26 Challenge Lab. The Challenge Lab small grants program supports projects that explore the relationship between diversity, inclusion, and free expression. Current University of Chicago academics of any rank including tenure-track, OAA, clinical faculty, and postdocs are eligible to apply.
Fundable projects include pursuing original research; creating new courses; testing novel pedagogical approaches; hosting small symposia, campus dialogues or workshops; or other on-campus activities. Priority will go towards scholarship that can be applied in a campus setting. As part of the grant, all recipients will deliver a 10-minute talk on their work and how it advances our collective understanding of these topics on campus.
Grants will be awarded up to $3,500. We expect to fund between 10 and 15 proposals. Download and complete the application prompts at the linked file here. We also request that you submit a program budget.
The request for proposals is now open through Sunday, March 1st, 2026, at midnight Central Time. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received. For more information and to submit your application, contact Michelle Hoereth at mhoereth@uchicago.edu.