UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund
UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Funds (SIF) are granted to departments and units at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to support our commitment to the Okanagan Charter to become a health and wellbeing-promoting institution, as outlined in UBC's Wellbeing Strategic Framework.
This year, $120,000 in funding is available to advance three funding streams:
Provides up to $5,000 to support students, faculty, and staff to embed health and wellbeing strategic initiatives within classroom environments.
Examples of projects considered for funding (but not limited to)
- Piloting and evaluating innovative TLR practices.
- Developing a TLR resource (ideally shareable).
- Adapting existing TLR resources for your context e.g. Teaching Practices that Promote Wellbeing.
- Researching innovative wellbeing practices in the TLR environment.
- Convening or broad knowledge translation around wellbeing TLR practices.
- View a summary of TLR-funded projects in 2023/24 here.
Resources
- Creating positive classrooms, lecture halls, and research environments where students feel supported and connected helps to promote and enhance learning outcomes and equip them for success. Find tools for faculty to help support student wellbeing here: Wellbeing Teaching & Learning Resources.
Provides up to $5,000 to support health equity projects that recognize and address any or all the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence wellbeing. A health equity approach aims to eliminate avoidable and unfair differences that hinder individuals and communities at UBC from reaching their fullest wellbeing potential. At UBC, the StEAR framework roadmap and the Indigenous Strategic Plan are key guiding resources as they lay out specific goals and actions in support of reducing health disparities experienced by HPSM groups at UBC.
Examples of projects considered for funding (but not limited to)
- Reviewing, analyzing and better understanding health equity related information within your setting to inform planning. Review tools may include the Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA), Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), or Indigenous Gender Based Analysis Plus (IGBA+).
- Piloting and evaluating new practices or programs.
- Developing a new resource (ideally shareable) or adapting existing resources for your context.
- Convening and/or capacity building.
Resources
Provides up to $5,000 to support activities and initiatives that highlight UBC’s decade-long commitment and inform the ongoing work to advance healthy campus communities across our university.
Examples of projects considered for funding (but not limited to)
- Initiatives that recognize and celebrate the collaborative efforts contributing to our shared success and inform the next decade of work across our campuses.
- Projects that showcase the impact and growth of the UBC Wellbeing network.
- Projects that encourage engagement and innovation in promoting health and wellbeing across our campuses.
- Development of resources or tools.
Resources
- UBC Wellbeing branding guidelines and logos are available to support your communications. Please email mandy.macrae@ubc.ca for more information.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Must be a current UBC faculty or staff to apply. UBC student-led projects require a staff or faculty sponsor.
- Initiatives must have a clear linkage to UBC's Wellbeing Strategic Framework.
- Funding may not be used retroactively, or exclusively for the purchase of equipment.
- Recipient must agree to report back on project outcomes and how the funds were used.
Projects must take place and funds be used by March 31, 2025.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Preference will be given to proposals that:
- Align closely with advancing the Wellbeing Strategic Framework and UBC's commitments to the Okanagan Charter for health-promoting campuses.
- Showcase inclusion, innovation, and collaboration as per the UBC Strategic Plan.
- Have considered how to maintain efforts and aim to have a sustainable or long-lasting impact beyond the one-time funding.
- Showcase observable or measurable benefits to promoting the health and wellbeing of UBC community members and ecology.
- Are first-time applicants.
- Advance elements of UBC's Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Framework, Indigenous Strategic Plan 2020, Inclusion Action Plan, Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Report, Climate Action Plans, Student Strategic Plan, and HR Focus on People Plan.
FUNDING DECISIONS
- Project proposals will be reviewed for eligibility and alignment to priority areas by the Priority Area Committees and/or representatives from the Office of Wellbeing Strategy; VPHR Health Wellbeing & Benefits; VPS Health Promotion & Education; and UBCO Student Wellness.
Decisions will be made approximately one month after applications close.
REPORTING
Funding must be used by March 31, 2025. In March/April 2025, applicants who have received funding will be asked to complete a brief report about project outcomes within 30 days.
QUESTIONS
If you are a department or unit with an idea that you feel is well suited to this fund, we are happy to chat with you about it, help make connections, and/or put you in touch with the appropriate committee chair/lead unit for that area. Please email your questions to sara.kozicky@ubc.ca.
APPLYING
Applications open on May 27, 2024, at the link below, and close on July 9th, 2024. View the full application here.
Reports & Announcements
- 2023/24 Teaching, Learning & Research Funded Projects
- 2022/23 Strategic Initiatives Fund Summary Report
Project Examples
Here are just a few UBC Wellbeing SIF projects from last year.
Project Lead: Campus + Community Planning
To kick off Thrive month at UBC Vancouver campus, Campus + Community Planning, in partnership with Blank Vinyl and the Thrive Committee, organized Thrive by the Fire. This one-day pop-up event transformed Lee Square into a cozy relaxation space with toasty table seating, chill tunes from UBC's own student musicians, and a resource fair highlighting mental health resources and supports on campus.
Project Leads: Health Equity, Promotion & Education and Human Resources
Funds were used to hire a graduate student position to support a greater understanding of IBPOC experiences in mental health at UBC.
Project Lead: School of Kinesiology
This new booklet is a research-based resource for parents, offering family-friendly recipes, ideas for healthy eating habits, meal planning advice, and information on Indigenous food and nutrition.
Other funding opportunities
Looking for other UBC funding opportunities for your project or initiative? Visit the links below from UBC’s centralized funding webpage.
- Healthy Workplace Initiatives Fund Program
- Strategic Equity & Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund
- Workplace Sustainability Fund
- Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund
- UTown@UBC’s Inspiring Community grants