Breaking Silence: Difficult Dialogues at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Support Available for Dialogues on Race, Religion, or Sexual Orientation

The UNO Difficult Dialogues project has funds available to support dialogue activities that are in keeping with the project’s mission, which is to promote constructive dialogue about issues related to race, religion, and sexual orientation. Funds may be used to pay for refreshments, publicity, photocopying, honoraria for speakers, and similar expenses.

Grants in any amount up to $500 will be distributed to support projects initiated by students, faculty, or staff. We especially encourage events designed in partnership with the larger Omaha community. We will begin accepting applications on October 15, 2007, and will make our first award decisions by October 30, 2007. We will continue to accept applications throughout the academic year or until all funds are expended. Proposals will be evaluated for their feasibility and their alignment with the Difficult Dialogues mission.

Awardees must be affiliated with a UNO department or organization prepared to manage the budget and must consult with a faculty or staff member who is part of the Difficult Dialogues core group. To identify an appropriate consultant for your project, contact one of the project directors listed below.

The UNO Difficult Dialogues project is funded by the Ford Foundation. We are required to keep track of how funds are spent and the outcomes achieved, and we must follow the university’s restrictions on grant expenditures. Please note the following:

• Honoraria cannot be paid to university employees.
• At any event, participants should sign in. This is especially important if grant funds are being used to pay for food.
• Grant funds cannot be spent on alcoholic beverages.
• Award recipients are required to provide receipts to document all expenses incurred.
• All awarded funds must be spent by May 15, 2008.

Award recipients will be required to write a brief report following the event to document project outcomes; this report should be submitted within one week of the event to Dr. Shereen Bingham in ASH 108.

The application and reporting forms are attached. If you have any questions, please contact one of the project directors:

• Dr. Nora Bacon, Department of English, 554-3318,nbacon@mail.unomaha.edu
• Dr. Shereen Bingham, School of Communication, 554-4857, sbingham@mail.unomaha.edu
• Dr. Cynthia Robinson-Moore, School of Communication, 554-4879, crobinsonmoore@mail.unomaha.edu

Back