Impact Grant Recipients
During each grant funding cycle, a collective of faculty, staff and administrators review Impact Grant proposals for both summer and academic year initiatives. The 2025 peer review team consisted of 33 reviewers from 21 academic and administrative units across campus
With the support of peer reviewers, the proposals are funded by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Grant Program. These initiatives do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, veteran status, marital status, political affiliation, political philosophy, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in accordance with state, federal, and Regent law.
Summer 2025
Spanish Audiology Learning Community: Expanding Spanish Linguistic Skills Appropriate for Clinical Care
Arts and Sciences - Social Sciences
The Spanish Audiology Learning Community aims to address healthcare disparities within the Spanish-speaking population via formation of a diverse network of Spanish-speaking audiologists and audiology graduate students. By equipping current and future audiologists with necessary linguistic and cultural skills while fostering a sense of community, this program will empower participants to contribute to improved healthcare equity in their future careers.
Building Capacity and Training Resources for Mentors Serving in Undergraduate Research Experiences
Research and Innovation Office
The Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) Program will develop and implement a mentorship training program for graduate students who mentor undergraduates during independent summer research. This strengths-based training will provide skills to address the needs of the whole student, focusing on inclusivity, belonging, allyship, harassment awareness, trauma-awareness, climate mental health, neurodiversity, and field safety.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) for Broadening Access to Brain and Behavioral Science
Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program provides first-time, research-intensive experiences for Psychology and Neuroscience undergraduates within faculty-led research programs. This student-facing initiative fosters knowledge acquisition beyond the classroom, builds research skills, and promotes integration into the wider departmental community.
Sphinx Summer Performance Academy
College of Music
2nd summer of funding
The CU Boulder College of Music is partnering with the Sphinx Organization to help break down access barriers to the classical music world. The Sphinx Performance Academy at CU Boulder, a summer bridge program, focuses on chamber music, solo performance and cultural diversity.
Bridges to Biosciences Summer Research at CU Boulder
College of Arts & Sciences – Natural Sciences
3rd summer of funding
The Bridges to Biosciences program provides Colorado community college students interested in the life sciences with research experience in CU Boulder faculty laboratories. The program's goal is to smooth the transfer pathway for underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM so they can successfully matriculate and complete a four-year biological and health sciences degree program. CU Boulder hosted three Front Range Community College students through a pilot program during summer 2022. During summer 2023, the program expanded the student cohort by adding students from the Community College of Denver.
Program for Excellence in Academics & Community (PEAC): Summer Bridge Program for MASP
College of Arts & Sciences – Administration
3rd summer of funding
PEAC is a 3-week residential summer bridge program that celebrates the lived and individual experiences and achievements of first-generation and historically underrepresented college students. PEAC is open to all first year students who want to be part of a multicultural academic enrichment community. The program has two primary focuses: 1) Preparing students for academic achievement - facilitating their confidence and preparation for college, as well as their sense of identity as scholars, and 2) inclusive community building - helping students to build a network of friends and mentors and teaching them how to work across differences.
Academic Year 2025-26
Bring Your Own Gender
Student Affairs
Bring Your Own Gender aims to support and uplift the lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary students and those exploring their gender identity. The program is open to all and will provide practical skills, peer connections and resources to trans and nonbinary students around transitioning and gender expression.
Math Without Barriers: Empowering and Engaging Communities Through Hands-on Math Activities
Arts and Sciences- Natural Sciences
This program aims to make math more engaging and accessible for K-12 students and their families through hands-on activities that highlight math’s relevance in everyday life. Partnering with CU Science Discovery and local organizations, the program will expand successful initiatives like Family Math Night to foster a positive math culture.
Neurodiversity Training for Supervisors
Arts and Sciences- Administration, Graduate School, Research and Innovation Office
This comprehensive training session equips supervisors with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage neurodivergent employees. Recognizing and supporting neurodiversity is not only essential for creating an inclusive work environment but also for optimizing the talents and abilities of all employees. The design team will offer campus a model for sustainable professional development.
Opening Doors to Discovery: Sharing Science Through Multilingual and Multimodal Museum Exhibits
Research and Innovation Office
The CU Boulder Museum of Natural History will translate exhibit texts into Spanish, develop bilingual audio tours, and create American Sign Language (ASL) videos. By addressing linguistic, auditory and cognitive barriers, this initiative makes museum exhibits more accessible to a broader audience and will create an engaging environment for Spanish-speaking, deaf and neurodivergent communities.
Pre-Health Peer Advisors: Expanding Access & Equity in Healthcare Guidance
Arts and Sciences- Administration
The Office of Pre-Health Advising pre-health peer advisors will help their fellow students navigate pre-health pathways. This initiative enhances leadership opportunities for students while alleviating pre-health advisor workload and fostering improved access, retention, academic performance, and overall engagement within the pre-health community.
Radically Reimagining Skills and Development for Belonging, Racial Justice, and a Diverse Democracy
Arts and Sciences- Arts and Humanities
Faculty and staff in the Theatre & Dance Department will build skills in anti-racism, community organizing, and belonging through training and ongoing consulting provided by The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. Participants will gain tools for understanding historical and institutional racism while developing strategies for analysis, coalition building, and culture change in the department.
Redesigning Teacher Preparation Toward Equity and Justice in CU Boulder’s Elementary Teacher Education Program
School of Education
Through professional development and structured program redesign, faculty and instructors in the School of Education’s Elementary Teacher Education program will expand capacity for supporting the learning and wellbeing of students of color, and cultivate greater knowledge among students and instructors about working and learning in/with a diverse student community.
Open Resource Toolkit for equitable and inclusive community-engaged research partnerships
Research and Innovation Office
2nd year of funding
The Community-Engaged Research working group of environmental science researchers at CU Boulder, based in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and the Masters of the Environment Program (MENV), will engage in discussions with research experts, community leaders and graduate students to investigate unethical “helicopter science” approaches. An open resource toolkit and microcredential program for equitable and inclusive community research partnerships will be designed and offered as a guide.
Boulder Black Blossoms
2nd year of funding
Boulder Black Blossoms aims to support and uplift the lived and individual experiences and achievements of Black women, promote inclusiveness, and enrich graduate and professional studies. The program envisions a social and emotional support system for students pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and education at CU Boulder. The program's goals are to reduce student attrition, increase self-efficacy and resilience, and improve social and emotional well-being through mentoring, workshops and community engagement. This program is open to all CU Boulder graduate students in STEM or Education.
Building the Infrastructure for Ongoing Student-led Participatory Action Research on Diverse Students’ Experiences
School of Education
2nd year of funding
The CU Boulder School of Education will build infrastructure for undergraduate students to conduct ongoing, participatory action research about the lived experiences of historically disenfranchised students at CU Boulder. As a PAR project, students will use findings from research to engage stakeholders to effect reform. The infrastructure provides continuity so the core research can evolve over time, providing timely and cumulative findings to campus leaders.
CU Cultural Collective Project
Health & Wellness
2nd year of funding
The CU Cultural Collective Project is an innovative initiative led by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) in response to the historical underuse of counseling services by Black, Indigenous and other employees of color despite heightened, chronic stress. FSAP's programming aims to create inclusive spaces for all faculty and staff to discuss mental health topics.
Level Up helps first-generation students obtain work experience
Division of Student Affairs
2nd year of funding
Through Level Up, first-generation students work on teams to apply their education, skills and knowledge in real-world situations. CU Boulder Career Services matches multidisciplinary teams of first-generation students with companies in Colorado to complete real-world projects. The primary objective of Level Up is to address a gap observed in first-generation student participation in internships and other experiential learning opportunities.
My Voice Matters: Program for Underrepresented Students to Serve as Mentors and Leaders
2nd year of funding
The Office of Pre-Health Advising piloted the My Voice Matters peer mentoring program in 2022. Mentoring programs provide mentors and mentees with an opportunity to connect with peers and develop important skills. Leadership, teamwork and collaboration are highly valued in health care admissions processes, and working as a mentor develops these skills. The program seeks to recruit students who are underrepresented in healthcare fields as mentors, providing them a paid opportunity to use their strengths, social capital and knowledge to help the next generation of pre-health students.
Personal Training Prep Course
Division of Student Affairs
2nd year of funding
CU Boulder provides the opportunity and financial support to prepare and train students to become personal trainers. Learn more about inclusive fitness programs led by the Division of Student Affairs and Recreation Services.
SASC Alumni Project
Undergraduate Education Student Support Services
2nd year of funding
Leveraging a pilot project, the Student Academic Success Center or SASC will design, implement and evaluate a program to broaden students’ pathways to professional success. By reengaging alumni to coach current students, SASC intends to foster alternative degree-to-career narratives that enrich students’ professional networks and generate new opportunities for professional success.
Science Bound: A Collaboration between MASP and the Division of Natural Sciences to serve first-year students
2nd year of funding
This yearlong program is a new collaboration between the Miramontes Arts and Sciences Program and the Division of Natural Sciences that uplifts the lived and individual experiences of first generation college students and members of historically underrepresented communities. Science Bound is open to all first-year students in the natural sciences who seek to engage in a multicultural learning community. The program helps integrate students into their respective academic programs more effectively and increases student retention.
CMDI Center for Race, Media and Technology
College of Media, Design & Information
2nd year of funding
The Center for Media, Race and Technology in the College of Media, Design and Information centers race and racial inequalities related to social and technological systems. The center researches, promotes and develops a community focused on the everyday experiences of Black, Indigenous and other people of color with and within media and technological experiences broadly. Grant funding supports the center's emphasis on and promotion of collaborative research through a public speaker series
Building Inclusive Pathways: A One Year Bridge Program for Students in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
College of Arts & Sciences – Administration
3rd year of funding
Building Inclusive Pathways is a one-year bridge program that aims to support the lived and individual experiences and achievements of first-generation and underrepresented students. The program is open to all students in the arts, humanities and social sciences who seek to engage in a multicultural learning community. The program prepares students for academic achievement by teaching them the “hidden curriculum” and field-relevant learning skills within their respective fields of study.
CU in the City: Community Scholars Program
College of Arts & Sciences – Administration
3rd year of funding
The CU Boulder Community Scholars Program fosters civic engagement, professional development and experiential learning for undergraduate students by integrating academic coursework with real-world experience. The program builds connections between the university and the greater community by placing students in paid internships with local government and nonprofit organizations. Students gain the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience to become effective contributors and leaders in their community. The program is managed by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and CU Boulder’s Office of Government and Community Engagement.
Disability Symposium
College of Arts & Sciences – Administration
3rd year of funding
The Disability Symposium addresses barriers faced by individuals with disabilities in higher education. The symposium fosters inclusive learning by equipping institutions with strategies to enhance accessibility, retention, and success. Through expert-led discussions and hands-on learning, the symposium empowers educators and institutions to create more inclusive academic and professional environments.
Diverse Doctorates in Business (DDB) Program
Leeds School of Business
3rd year of funding
The Leeds Diverse Doctorates in Business program invites undergraduate and graduate students at Leeds and elsewhere around the country to consider pursuing a PhD in a business discipline. DDB scholars work directly with tenured/tenure-track faculty to develop and/or strengthen their research skills to prepare them for the possibility of a future business faculty research career and receive direct mentoring and networking support to help make their PhD applications as competitive as possible.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-Grounded Dialogic Classroom Training Initiative
School of Education
3rd year of funding
This initiative provides a 10-week training program for up to 40 graduate students, a structured community of practice for alumni to implement dialogues and build expertise, and a “Dialogue Day” open to all campus to raise the profile of dialogue across difference.
Louis Stokes Alliance builds bridges to doctoral programs
College of Engineering & Applied Science
3rd year of funding
Impact Grant funds support associated professional and social activities to build a community among a cohort of incoming PhD students to help ensure their success in student achievement outcomes and prepare them for participation in a diverse democracy.
Research & Innovation Office JEDIA Scholar Learning Community
Research and Innovation Office
3rd year of funding
The JEDIA Scholar Learning Community aims to support investigators and researchers across the university by building a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports the development of opportunities for interdisciplinary diversity, equity and inclusion work and to increase their capacity to produce research impacts in society. Community workshops focus on understanding and creating broader impacts and research impacts statements and plans, evaluation and assessment, and budgeting and financial planning to assist investigators with developing compelling broader impacts and research impact plans.
Colorado Space Grant Consortium WARP-SPEED program
College of Engineering & Applied Science
3rd year of funding
The Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC) Space Professional Education, Enrichment and Development or WARP-SPEED program engages an interdisciplinary student cohort interested in space-related research in their first semester. WARP-SPEED students work on experiential, NASA-aligned projects in a collaborative, positive and healthy environment where they can build technical, communication, interpersonal and leadership skills while developing a science, technology, engineering and math or STEM identity.