UBC awarded $302,514 to support 59 projects across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan through the Strategic Equity & Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund during the 2025/26 funding cycles.
Ranging from $500 to $10,000 per project, the funded initiatives reflect the many ways students, faculty, and staff are advancing equity-focused change across the university. Together, the projects address priorities such as racial equity, disability equity, sexual and gender equity, and intersectional approaches to inclusion, while supporting more accessible learning environments, stronger representation and belonging, and opportunities for dialogue and community connection.
Fund facts
- 130 applications from across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan
- 45 per cent of total applications awarded funding
- An average $5,127 is allocated to each project
- $302,514 awarded to 59 projects
- UBCV: $227,628 awarded to 45 projects
- UBCO: $74,886 awarded to 14 projects
- Number of applicants by type:
- Students: 16
- Faculty and staff: 43
- Number of projects funded by stream:
- Racial equity: 17
- Disability equity 10
- Sexual and Gender equity: 5
- Intersectionality: 27
- 6 Faculties and and 6 Portfolios represented across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan
Projects funded through the StEAR Enhancement Fund are organized under the streams of racial equity, disability equity, gender and 2SLGBTQIA+ equity, with many also taking an intersectional approach.
How funded projects are advancing change across UBC
UBC’s StEAR Framework is built around four broad institutional domains of change, including structural, curricular, compositional, and interactional. and the funded initiatives contribute to these domains in different ways across UBC.
Structural change Some projects focus on changing systems, processes, and infrastructure to make UBC more equitable and accessible. These include initiatives that improve reporting pathways, strengthen procurement practices, map physical barriers, enhance accessibility planning, and develop more inclusive digital and operational resources.
Curricular change Several projects contribute to more equitable and inclusive teaching, learning, and knowledge-sharing. These include efforts to rethink pedagogical practice, improve practicum advising, support anti-oppressive and disability-informed education, and create resources that inform training, admissions, and academic program development.
Compositional change A number of projects aim to improve representation, belonging, and retention for Historically, Persistently or Systemically Marginalized students, faculty, and staff. These initiatives create mentorship opportunities, culturally affirming spaces, and visibility for communities whose experiences and contributions are often underrepresented in university settings.
Interactional change Many projects build capacity for dialogue, reflection, and relationship-building through workshops, speaker series, storytelling, cultural programming, and peer learning. These initiatives help strengthen community understanding, deepen engagement with lived experience, and support more inclusive and respectful campus climates.
Looking ahead
The StEAR Enhancement Fund continues to support projects that advance broad campus equity and anti-racism goals and priorities aligned with UBC’s StEAR Framework and Roadmap for Change. To learn more about the fund applications and related announcements, visit: