University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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Announcing the Chancellor’s Call to Action Research Projects for 2022-23

Foellinger Auditorium at the University of Illinois on a spring day. Students are relaxing on the grass.

September 12, 2022, 1:02 P.M.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022-23 Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program, a $2 million annual commitment by our university to respond to the critical need for universities across our nation to prioritize research focused on systemic racial inequities. During this second year of the program, 25 projects were funded in three research focus areas: systemic racism and social justice; law enforcement and criminal justice reform; and disparities in health and health care.

The breadth of this year’s funded projects reflects a commitment to research that centers the needs of the communities we serve throughout our state and nation, from more equitable outcomes through the juvenile justice system, to the impact of social infrastructures and the built environment on mental health and wellbeing, to support for foster care providers.

These projects represent 17 departments and reporting units in seven colleges and administrative units. Awards this year range from $25,000 to $75,000. In total, $1.49 million in research funds will be distributed during this second year of funding. A full list of projects and descriptions is available at go.illinois.edu/CallToActionProjects.

Each Call to Action research funding year concludes with a symposium to share project results and recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of the project leaders. The impact of the first year of funding will be presented during the inaugural Research Symposium, October 6 and 7, 2022. Opening this symposium will be a keynote conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, and one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars.

Dr. Kendi will be in conversation with Vice Chancellor Sean Garrick on Thursday, October 6 at 5:30 pm in Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum. Friday, October 7, will feature research presentations and poster sessions at the Levis Faculty Center, showcasing the work of the 22 funded projects during the first year of the Call to Action Research Program. More details about how to register for the symposium will be available soon.

Please join me in recognizing each project leader and community partner, and their deep commitment to research that addresses the pervasive barriers to justice and equity in our nation. I encourage you to explore these second-year projects of the Call to Action Research Program and to attend the research symposium in October.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor