EDI Action Fund

About the Fund

The Temerty Faculty of Medicine Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EDI) Action Fund is administrated by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), and contributes to Temerty Medicine’s commitment to Excellence through Equity, one of the three Strategic Domains of Focus named in the 2018-2023 Academic Strategic Plan. It aims to support Temerty Medicine learners in being champions of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility (EDIIA), by transforming their ideas for initiatives into reality. It awards a maximum of $500 to applicants with successful proposals on a reimbursement basis. The fund may approve a maximum of 10 proposals per year (May to April).

Access the online application here.

Evaluation Rubric

Please download and review the EDI Action Fund Evaluation Rubric before writing your proposal.

Blank Form Templates

Before filling out the online application form, you may want to record and save all your answers in the Word document template.

The required budget template is also available for download as an Excel document within the application form.

Final Report

In order to receive a reimbursement for project costs, approved recipients of the fund must complete this final report form in full. It is a good idea to review the final report before starting your project to get an idea of the information you will be asked to report back on.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

The following groups are eligible to apply to the EDI Action Fund (one project funded per group per year):

U of T MedSoc ratified student groups;
Temerty Medicine undergraduate student associations;
Temerty Medicine graduate student associations (including student unions and associations);
Unofficial Temerty Medicine student groups, and;
A currently enrolled part-time, full-time or flex time Temerty Medicine individual learner or group of learners, supported by a Temerty Medicine staff or faculty member advisor. (Note that if your proposal is approved, you will then be asked for written confirmation from your staff/faculty advisor that they are acting as an advisor for your initiative.) The learner(s) can be enrolled in any Temerty Medicine department (MD, undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate), at St. George or Mississauga campus, including rehabilitation sciences, basic sciences or clinical departments. Note that the learner(s) must be currently enrolled (part-time, full-time or flex time) at Temerty Medicine throughout the entire duration of the initiative.

Although it is not required, we do encourage applicants to work collaboratively and across departments. Two or more student groups may decide to submit joint applications.

Eligible Projects

Eligible initiatives must demonstrate that they contribute to advancing EDI at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Eligible initiatives may include any of the following:	We encourage initiatives that tackle the following topics as they relate to education/research/clinical practice at the Faculty of Medicine:
Holding a panel event Designing a zine Facilitating social/networking event Making a podcast Developing a campaign Creating a toolkit Creating a photo series and exhibit Film screening and dialogue Developing/facilitating a workshop Running a conference Or More!	2SLGBTQIA+ issues Anti-racism Antisemitism Climate justice Decolonization/Indigeneity Disability inclusion/accessibility Economic inequality Islamophobia Sexism/gender justice Xenophobia Providing supports for international students And any other topics related to EDI, social determinants of health, anti-oppression, etc.

We encourage intersectional, innovative and creative thinking. Initiatives should incorporate inclusive approaches, and consider how accessibility considerations will be addressed. For example:

If you propose a panel, have you ensured a diversity in speakers’ race, gender, and other dimensions of diversity?
if you propose a networking event, how will you ensure the participation of underrepresented communities? Will a land acknowledgment be delivered?
If you propose a film screening, is the venue accessible? Does the film have closed captioning?
if your event is in person, is the physical space arranged in a way that is accessible to those using mobility devices?

Please take time to build these types of considerations into your proposal.

Ineligible Projects

The following types of initiatives are not eligible for the EDI Action Fund:

for-profit initiatives
non-profit initiatives or events that charge a mandatory fee
research studies

Applicants are welcome to connect with the OID at medicine.oid@utoronto.ca to discuss their proposals before applying.

Application periods

Applications will be accepted starting May 1 on a rolling basis throughout the year. However, all projects need to be completed by March 31 of the following year, with receipts submitted for reimbursement to OID by April 15 of that year.

Application period	Application review and approval
May 1 - March 31 (rolling)	Within one month of application receipt

Process

Complete the online Temerty Faculty of Medicine EDI Action Fund application form in full and submit. If you would like to consult with the OID about your idea before submitting, please email the OID at medicine.oid@utoronto.ca. It is advised that applicants thoroughly review the application form and Evaluation Rubric before drafting the application. This approach ensures a clear understanding of the requirements, enhancing the chances of creating a well-suited and successful application.
The OID Coordinator will review and score submitted applications for eligibility based on the Evaluation Rubric. Applicants may be contacted and asked for further details to support their application.
Successful applications will be approved to receive funding up to $500 on a reimbursement basis.
Project teams implement their approved initiative. Project teams must track and update progress and expenses for their initiatives. After the initiative is completed, project teams must submit all itemized receipts to medicine.oid@utoronto.ca and submit the final report form on their initiative’s results, impact and key learnings in order to receive reimbursement. The final report and itemized receipts should be received within two weeks of the completion of the initiative.

Use of funds

Funds granted by the Temerty Faculty of Medicine EDI Action Fund may not be used for the following:

Purchase of alcoholic beverages
Payment/honoraria to those involved in the organizing of the projects (gifts for speakers are permitted).
Attendance/registration fees for conferences, classes, or training

Previously supported initiatives (May 2023 - April 2024)

Cross Border Network (CBN)

CBN is a student club that organizes free, fun and engaging events that bring together international and domestic student at Temerty Medicine. Their events create welcoming environments that are ideal for cross-cultural socializing and much more.

On May 28, 2023, CBN hosted a hand building pottery class at the Gardiner Museum. Despite the limited spots, more than 70 graduate students across departments at the Temerty Medicine registered. On a first come, first served basis, 20 individuals participated, including 10 international students and 10 domestic students.

Filipino Association of Medical Students (FAMS)

FAMS was supported to present their research on the under-representation of Filipinos in medicine at the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) in April 2023.

Their presentation and research was translated into a social media campaign in recognition of Filipino Heritage Month in Canada.

Hispanic Medical Students Association (HMSA)

The HMSA hosted a panel discussion on Hispanic Health in the GTA: Cultural Sensitivity and Barriers to Care as their very first event, on March 28, 2023.

The panelists shared valuable insights into the healthcare needs of the Hispanic community in the GTA, and there was great discussion on how they can work together to address these needs.

Now known as the Canadian Association of Latin Medical Students (CALMS), the group looks forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

Reading the Margins (BIWOC Book Club)

With the Reading the Margins Book Club, medical learners come together with the goal of reading books written by women of colour, in order to uplift marginalized voices and call attention to social justice/equity issues that are not otherwise covered in the medical curriculum. The book club currently has 64 members across all years of medicine, with the first meeting held on on May 16, 2023.

Through this book club, discussion on sensitive issues related to social justice, equity, and intersectionality is facilitated in a safe space. For example, books such as "Take My Hand" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, "Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley, "As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow" by Zoulfa Katouh and "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri address a range of topics including medical racism, colonialism, the impact of war on health equity, and more. These novels paved the way for very insightful discussion between group members.

Trainee Mentorship Program at Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Diverse faculty and staff at Tanz were invited to participate as mentors for Tanz trainees. Considering that individuals stem from diverse academic and personal backgrounds, it is essential that everyone is provided an environment to prosper through support-equity.

This provided trainees at the Tanz an opportunity to interact with supervisors and peers in an informal setting enabling them to seek guidance, support and advice, an opportunity that is otherwise not available to them. It propelled students/post-docs and supervisors from a range of ages, educational level, and experiences to come together in a setting and share experiences in a growth stimulating and non-judgmental environment.

Each students’ questions and concerns for the mentorship program are collected and then anonymously shared with the supervisor mentoring, to address student needs using a target-based approach. Additionally, the small group setup enabled more close-knit interactions and have evidently fostered relationships across labs at the Tanz.

Food insecurity was an issue raised at the Tanz and this initiative indirectly targets that by offering lunch to students during these sessions, in this way, we can respect student privacy associated with food insecurity and minimize stigma around the topic. This initiative officially commenced September 2023 and is currently ongoing till May 2024.

UpSurge Mentorship Program – Surgical Skills Night (coming soon)

UpSurge Mentorship program is a resident-led initiative within the Department of Surgery that aims to stimulate interest, provide support, and guide underrepresented medical students in pursuing surgical careers.

UpSurge is a mentorship program aimed at stimulating interest, providing support, and guiding underrepresented students in pursuing surgical careers. This entails long-term, goal-oriented strategies for providing exposure to the different surgical specialties, ensuring resource availability, and facilitating networking opportunities.

The program is available to trainees and medical students from underrepresented ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. UpSurge is supported by Dr. Sav Brar (Program Director, Division of General Surgery) and a group of dedicated residents.