A Program of the Center for Leadership & Diversity

WHAT ARE DIVERSITY ACTION GRANTS?
The Diversity Action Grant (DAG) Program enables ASME Student Sections to sponsor events which:

• Promote the inclusion of women and under-represented minorities in ASME Student Sections and in mechanical engineering;
• Inspire K-12 students to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education; and/or,
• Assist minority- and/or women-owned businesses solve engineering design problems
• Assist developing communities with service learning design projects (collaboration with EWB-USA student chapter projects strongly encouraged)

This competitive program awards grants ranging from $500 to $3,000 per student section based upon the size and scope of the project. The deadline for applying for a DAG grant is November 10th of this academic year. Projects must be completed by the end of that academic year, unless a special waiver is granted by the Center for Leadership & Diversity’s Committee on Diversity Programs

Any unused grant funds remaining at the end of the project must be returned to ASME. While the Center for Leadership & Diversity encourages the continuation of successful DAG projects, the purpose of the award is to provide seed money for start-up projects and activities

ASME Student Section grant recipients must provide a final written report by June 1 of that academic year for which the award was made. A financial report must be included in the final report. Grant recipients will be provided a format on which to base their final reports

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DAG PROGRAM?
The objectives of the DAG Program are:

• To increase the participation and retention of women and under-represented minorities in ASME Student Sections;
• To increase the number of students who pursue engineering educations; and,
• To promote ASME’s image and prestige with industry and minority- and women-owned businesses

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
The DAG Program is open to any ASME Student Section which is interested in promoting diversity and inclusion within its own section, within the ASME membership and within the engineering community at large. Individual sections are limited to one grant per academic year

ASME Student Sections worldwide are encouraged to apply to the DAG Program. However, proposals must be submitted in English to facilitate review by the selection committee.

APPLICATION DEADLINE, SELECTION CRITERIA AND REVIEW
The deadline for submission of applications is November 10th. Applications should be sent to:
ASME Center for Leadership & Diversity
Marina Stenos
ASME
Three Park Ave
New York, NY 10016-5990
Telephone: (212) 591-8614
Fax: (212) 591-7856
stenosm@asme.org

Following the submission deadline, the Center for Leadership & Diversity’s Committee on Diversity Programs will evaluate each application against the following criteria:

• Does the proposed project or event meet the DAG objective(s)?
• Can the project be replicated by other ASME Student Sections?
• Is the project innovative?
• Does the proposal include a realistic methodology?
• Does the proposal include a budget and an evaluation plan?
• Does the proposed project include collaboration with women and under-represented minority groups on campus (e.g., Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers)?
• Does the project encourage cost sharing from local industry, universities and/or the local ASME Section?

APPLICATION DOs & DON'Ts
Diversity Action Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Before submitting your grant application, review the following checklist on DAG application “dos” and “don’ts”.

The DOs

• Submit the application through your ASME Student Section Advisor
• Complete the entire application, including all contact information
• Provide a detailed budget plan, including the amount of money you are requesting
• Include information on groups with which your section will be partnering or collaborating
• Include project objectives, methodology and evaluation plan
• Submit the application by no later than the deadline

The DON'Ts

• Submit applications to fund any of the following activities:
  • “mini Baja” events
  • university recruitment or retention efforts
  • scholarships
  • strictly social activities or events
  • senior design projects – with the exception of those focused on assisting minority- or women-owned businesses solve design problems
• Submit an application written by faculty members
• Submit incomplete an application
• Submit an application after the deadline 

ANNOUNCEMENT OF GRANT AWARDS
ASME Student Section grant recipients will be notified of their selection via e-mail. Checks in the grant amounts will be forwarded to the ASME Student Section Advisor.