Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grants: Tier 2

Spring 2026 Tier 2 applications are now open! Apply here.

Applications are due Thurs., Feb 12 at 11:59 p.m. MT

Tier 2 grants should be used to establish a public and community-engaged scholarship project.

CU Boulder faculty members, staff members or graduate students (with faculty advisor) may apply for Tier 2 grants.

Applicants may request up to $5,000 for each project. 

Grant recipients sometimes use Tier 2 grants to establish a project prior to applying for a Tier 3 or 4 grant or for external funding. For event and partnership development funding, please see Tier 1 Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grants. 

Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grants fund work that connects research, teaching and creative work with public needs and interests. Projects must connect CU Boulder scholarship with the expressed needs, interests or activities of external constituents and be aligned with the campus definition of outreach and engagement.

Grantee Stories

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Applicant must be a CU Boulder faculty member, staff member or currently enrolled graduate student (with a faculty advisor).

Funded Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grant projects must connect CU Boulder faculty research, creative work or teaching with the needs, interests or activities of external constituents. Applicants are encouraged to review the campus definition of outreach and engagement.

Tier 2 proposals are reviewed using this scoring rubric. 

The most competitive Tier 2 proposals:

  • Connect to and advance faculty, staff, or student research, creative work and/or teaching
  • Foster and sustain relationships between community and campus partners that allow meaningful opportunities to contribute to and benefit equitably from the project
  • Show evidence of public need for CU Boulder involvement through evidence-based research, partner consultation and/or a direct request
  • Outline goals and objectives that are well-defined and clearly connect to the problem or issue being addressed
  • Provide a detailed and realistic timeline and plan to achieve goals
  • Include an evaluation plan with appropriate measures and approaches used to assess quality of the community partnership
  • Explain how the activities and people will be supported by the budget. If applicable, justify why Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grant funds are needed in addition to other available funding and/or how the grant will be leveraged for other funding.
  • If applicable, demonstrate a clear and compelling rationale for continued funding through details about growth of the project over time and impact to date

Allowable Budget Items:

  • Program materials and supplies, including printing costs and 
informational materials

  • Equipment necessary to the project, including justification for its use and a plan for what will happen to the equipment once the project is complete (equipment is property of the state and cannot be donated or remain at external sites beyond the duration of the project)
  • Food or beverage integral to the project (cannot be used for
reception/social events)
  • Student stipends or hourly pay for currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate or graduate students (include pay rate and all costs associated with position including benefits, IT connectivity fees, etc.)

  • Stipends or honoraria for K-12 teachers or community partners
  • Supplemental pay for CU Boulder staff
  • Travel expenses for CU Boulder faculty, staff, and students for engagement work taking place in the community
  • Expenses for community partners or participants to travel to campus
  • Expenses to host or create community-facing conferences, workshops and meetings
  • Other direct costs needed for the project

Non-allowable Budget Items:

  • Pay, honoraria or release time for faculty, including postdoctoral researchers
  • Pay for undergraduate students enrolled in course tied to outreach project
  • Fees and travel expenses for outside consulting, speakers, or professional/specialized services. However, fees and expenses for professional services will be considered if they are essential to the success of the project and are justified as to why they are needed instead of using any available talents or expertise of CU Boulder faculty, staff or students.
  • Expenses to attend a conference

  • Costs not essential to the community engagement activity
    • Capital expenses or overhead costs (e.g., rent, personal computers, office equipment)

    • Catering expenses for receptions or other social events. Funds cannot be used to purchase alcohol.
    • Marketing or advertising costs 

Spring 2026 proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. on Thu., Feb. 12, 2026. 

  • Keep in mind that the review committee members represent various academic disciplines. Write your proposal so that it is clear to all. 
  • Be sure to spell out acronyms and provide definitions for technical terms.
  • Prepare a draft of your proposal to cut and paste into the online submission form so that you have a copy for your records.
  • Check your word count. The online form will cut off any information that exceeds the maximum word count.  

Spring 2026 proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. on Thu., Feb. 12, 2026.

Proposals are reviewed by a committee comprised of four reviewers: at least one Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship staff member and up to three CU Boulder faculty and staff members.

Funding decisions will typically be announced within 30 days of the submission deadline. The grant selection process is competitive. Funding is subject to availability, and partial funding may be awarded.

Graduate student proposals are reviewed separately from faculty and staff proposals.

Applicants must complete the online proposal form. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applicants and projects may be awarded up to one Tier 2 grant per academic year. 

An academic unit or department must sponsor and maintain fiscal oversight of the project.

Funding Requirements

To receive their funding, grant recipients must complete the following steps within 30 days of receiving their funding notification:

  • Sign the funding agreement

Communications Requirements

  • Acknowledge that the project received Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship grant funding on communications about your project including webpages, stories or press releases, and presentation materials.
  • Tag @CUBoulderPACES on any social media posts related to your project.

Status Report Requirements

  • Complete a brief status report within 30 days of the grant period’s end. Note that the status report must be completed prior to submitting additional funding requests to the office 

The Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship provides four tiers of funding. See other Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grant opportunities.

Questions: engagedscholarship@colorado.edu