Graduate and professional students regularly (not provisional or lifelong) enrolled in a graduate or grad-professional program (not a certificate program only) at MSU and who are in good standing in their programs may apply. Faculty or others are encouraged to nominate a graduate student (Please email tgsawards@grd.msu.edu to submit a nomination).
Nominators should be those who directly worked with the applicant/nominee, can demonstrate and explain the applicant/nominees impact on their program, unit, or department at MSU and/or on their campus community, or who are otherwise knowledgeable about how the applicant/nominee embodies DEI philosophy through their DEI actions.
Students must be enrolled for the minimum credits to be in full-time status or provide a justification for less than full-time status. A graduate or professional student can receive a DEI Award once during their time at MSU.
Consideration will be given to graduate and professional students who:
Clearly embody and clearly demonstrate DEI work through addressing, challenging, or dismantling forms of discrimination, sexism, racism, and prejudice in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU; or by creating a more equitable environment in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU.
Who clearly demonstrate what work they did and the extent of that work, demonstrate the outcomes of that work, and display their commitment to furthering DEI in or through their program, unit, or department at MSU.
Examples include:
Creating DEI panels, workshops, or other DEI activities/events that create a more equitable environment or addresses/challenges/dismantles discrimination, sexism, racism, and prejudice within or through a program, unit, or department on campus.
Creating DEI focused forums, programs, or a series that creates a more equitable environment or addresses/challenges/dismantles discrimination, sexism, racism, and prejudice within or through a program, unit, or department on campus.
Instituting a DEI program, series, or activities/events that creates a more equitable environment or dismantles addresses/challenges/dismantles discrimination, sexism, racism, and prejudice through a Registered Student Organization (RSO) or Graduate Student Organization (GSO) on campus that affects the campus community.
DEI related volunteerism on campus with DEI impacts on campus.
Service on DEI committees and boards within a program, unit, or department with DEI impacts on campus.
This award is not for research on other related “-isms,” or DEI related work completed through a research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or any paid positions. This award is not for DEI work done in the applicant’s respective disciplines and/or professional societies at the local, state, regional, national, or international levels while a student at MSU. The DEI award is specific to DEI work affecting MSU students, staff, or faculty on campus in their respective or through their respective program, unit, or department.
For those doing research on other related “isms” and societal “isms” more broadly or their research has impact on “isms,” please refer to the Barbara Stewart Thomas and Jim Thomas Graduate Fellowship.
For those doing DEI work in their respective disciplines and/or professional societies at the local, state, regional, national, or international levels, this “DEI leadership” is considered Leadership under the Disciplinary Leadership Award.
Do not apply for a DEI Award if your DEI work is NOT occurring on MSU campus or within a program, unit, or department on campus with effects on campus communities.
