Initiatives
The Bowman Center's initiatives seek to drive social change by fostering knowledge, skills, and awareness of the complex social dynamics that shape human experiences, thereby empowering individuals and institutions to create an equitable and inclusive society.
The Bowman Center periodically offers grant competitions to support research and creative projects that explore issues of inequality and justice. These funding opportunities are open to University of Michigan faculty, graduate students, and staff across disciplines and the arts — depending on opportunity — with particular attention to anti-racist research. Funded projects advance scholarship that serves as a foundation for practice and policy. See specific calls for applicant eligibility.
The Bowman Center Scholars Network (the Network) builds academic, educational, and social connections to support the success of scholars whose work furthers our understanding of historical and contemporary social issues related to identity, difference, culture, representation, power, and inequality — as they occur and affect individuals, groups, communities, and institutions. A go-to resource for academic leaders conducting recruitment, journalists covering social issues, and scholars seeking collaborators, the Network creates an inclusive environment promoting professional growth and impactful networking opportunities.
The CASCaDE project empowers change agents in higher education to drive transformation by providing knowledge, tools, research, and collaborative opportunities. By fostering equity-minded leadership skills, CASCaDE aims to create a more inclusive and equitable higher education landscape.
The Inclusive History Project (IHP) is a presidential initiative to study and document a comprehensive history of the University of Michigan that stretches across the university’s three campuses and Michigan Medicine, with a focus on examining received histories, recontextualizing existing narratives, and centering heretofore ignored stories. Led by renowned scholars, the IHP aims to engage the entire university and neighboring communities to better understand the full history of the institution and to consider what actions that history demands in the present and for the future.
The James S. Jackson Distinguished Career Award, presented biennially, recognizes a senior University of Michigan faculty member who has made significant contributions to understanding issues related to access and equity through research, teaching, and mentoring. This prestigious honor celebrates the university's commitment to inclusivity and fosters ongoing dialogue on critical issues.
The University Diversity & Social Transformation Professorship recognizes senior University of Michigan faculty who have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing institutional barriers via their scholarship, teaching, and/or service. It provides financial support for research, bestows the Bowman Center faculty fellow status, and offers a semester-long leave for scholarly engagement and leadership development.