Undergraduate Community-Engaged Scholars Grants

There is one grant cycle per academic year:

Winter 

• Proposal deadline: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023 by 11:59 p.m.

Decisions on funding will typically be announced within 30 days of the submission deadline. The awards selection process is competitive. Award funding is subject to availability and partial funding may be awarded.

Applicants must complete the online proposal form. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Applicants and projects may receive up to one Undergraduate Grant per academic year.

Applicants must be a currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate student (with faculty sponsor) and must be enrolled during the duration of the project.

The undergraduate student’s advisor is required to write a 1-page letter of endorsement that addresses the following areas:

• The advisor’s understanding of the proposed activities; include any relevant background information about the context and goals of the student’s project or activity and how it connects to their academic work.
• How the advisor will support the student’s activities and ensure they can complete the work.

Upload the advisor endorsement letter with your online submission.

Allowable Expenses

• Travel and project costs for outreach events or activities with communities external to CU Boulder

• Program materials or supplies, including food

• Community participant stipends and expenses

Non-allowable Expenses

• Pay or travel expenses for professional consultants or outside speakers

• Faculty, staff and student pay, honoraria or release time

Below are the sections in the Undergraduate Community-Engaged Scholars grants online application. The application must be submitted online. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Applicants will need to provide contact information for a departmental accounting person. An academic unit or department must sponsor and maintain fiscal oversight of the project.

General Information

Applicant Contact Information

• Contact information for student applicant and faculty advisor
• Preferred Pronouns
• Contact information for a departmental accounting person

Advisor Endorsement Letter

The undergraduate student’s advisor is required to write a 1-page letter of endorsement that addresses the following areas:

• The advisor’s understanding of the proposed activities; include any relevant background information about the context and goals of the student’s project or activity and how it connects to their academic work.
• How the advisor will support the student’s activities and ensure they can complete the work.

Upload the advisor endorsement letter with your online submission.

Project/Funding Request Description

Provide a brief overview of the funding request and provide the following details (600 words maximum).

• A description of proposed work or activity including the goals and objectives
• Where the activity or event takes place: provide specific information about the location, institutions, community and/or venue

Participant Details

Campus Participants (250 words maximum)

• List campus faculty, staff or student participants
• Provide a short description of how they will be involved in the event/activity.  
• Describe goals and intended benefits for campus participants

External Community Participants (250 words maximum)

• List external community partners (e.g. city government, nonprofit organization, community group, etc.) and/or participants (e.g. audience members, K-12 students)
• Provide a short description of how they will be involved in the event/activity.  
• Describe goals and intended benefits for external community participants.

Timeline for Proposed Work or Activity

• Provide a brief narrative describing the timeline (100 words maximum)
• Describe scenarios for how you will modify your plans to address COVID-19 restrictions as needed. (100 words maximum)
• Input approximate start and end dates for your grant-related activities

Detailed Budget Information

• Funding requested: Total dollar amount of funding requested from the Office for Outreach and Engagement ($1,000 limit, including GAIR at 7.89% of total project costs).
• Budget narrative: Provide an explanation and justification of how funds will be used to support the activities described in the funding request. Describe how the project will change if funding is not awarded. (250 words maximum)
• Other funding sources: Describe other sources of funding for your project, including any matching funds available from your department/unit. (250 words maximum)
• Grant budget worksheet: Complete the budget worksheet template, then upload the completed budget template with your online submission. The budget should include:
  • Itemized expenses you are requesting from OOE for your project including a breakdown of the dollar amount and a brief description of the projected expenses (e.g. cost of materials, individual hotel rooms, per diem per person, etc.)
  • Cost of GAIR (General Administrative and Infrastructure Recharge), currently assessed at 7.89% of your total budget. All outreach accounts, which are Fund 29 accounts, are subject to GAIR fees from the university.

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

Funding requirements

• Sign the funding agreement and provide a Fund 29 speedtype within 30 days (unless the funding agreement stipulates otherwise). Information for creating a new speedtype can be found on the University Controller website.
• Add your program information to the Public Outreach and Community Engagement website and/or your off-campus event to the Statewide Event Calendar.

Orientation requirement

• Attend a virtual orientation in the fall to learn about awardee questions and working with our office.

Communications requirements

• Inform your department communicator about any events or story ideas related to your project. Please include our office's logo on any posters or ads, which we can provide.
• Acknowledge that the project received Office for Outreach and Engagement grant funding on a webpage about your project, a story or a press release, using the following language: "This project was funded through a grant from the Office for Outreach and Engagement."
• Make sure to select “Outreach and Engagement” under the interest category section on the CU Events Calendar to have your event promoted on the campus Public Outreach and Community Engagement website.
• Tag @CUOutreach on any social media posts related to your project.
• Respond in a timely manner to office staff about project deadlines or publicity related to the project, which may be featured on the Public Outreach and Community Engagement website.
• Learn more about the Risk Management policies and receive approval from the Human Research and Institutional Review Board (IRB) for a research project that involves human subjects.

Status Report Requirements

• When the project or event is completed, the grant recipient must fill out a status report that describes the impact of funded activities. The status report due date will be provided in the funding agreement. Note that the status report must be completed prior to submitting for additional funding requests to the office.