Reimagining Access: Building Special Education Workforce Capacity Through Mentorship of Faculty at MSIs

Faculty at Minority-Serving Institutions face barriers to mentorship and research in Special Education and Related Services. This session presents the DREAM Center’s model for building grant readiness, fostering collaboration, and supporting sustainable faculty development to expand access to high-quality special education services for underserved children, families, and communities.Participants will be able to: 1. Implement strategies for successful grant development, including identifying specific resources for building grant readiness, fostering collaborative partnerships, and providing ongoing support throughout proposal development and award management. 2. Navigate the federal funding landscape strategically by identifying appropriate competition categories that align with institutional capacity and mission, utilizing targeted resources and tools to match faculty expertise with funding priorities, and developing competitive positioning strategies for MSI contexts. 3. Apply evidence-based practices for developing sustainable personnel preparation programs by aligning program goals with federal selection criteria, designing scholar competency frameworks that reflect community needs including students with disabilities and their families, and creating comprehensive sustainability plans that ensure long-term program viability and impact beyond the funding period.