Community Changemaker Challenge Grants

Funding will be made available through the President’s Office for two, two-year grants for up to $200,000 to be used to solve and/or address real-world problems confronting a local community or communities (these could be geographic communities or communities based on shared characteristics).

Community engagement and being a preeminent “steward of place” are a priority for the institution. Indeed, as President Pescovitz notes in the Strategic Vision 2030, “Throughout the strategic planning process, two primary questions were posed: How do we develop our university where community, collaboration and excellence in education and research are at the core of our endeavor? And how can Oakland be further integrated into our communities, and serve as a catalyst for progress?”

Timetable:
September 18: Grant competition announced
January 8: Submission deadline
February 1: First award(s) announced and two-year funding period begins

Proposal requirements:

• Connection to a community partner and how that partner will play a role in the project
• A community identified need- and/or opportunity-driven project
• Description of how the grant will solve, help solve or address a problem faced by a community (including multiple metrics)
• Description of how OU students will be involved in the project. For instance: Will a service-learning course be a portion of the project? Will students be a part of a research team that will investigate and address the specific problem?
• Emphasis on reciprocal relationships and measurable community impact
• Sustainability plan: How will this project continue beyond the two-year funding period? What sources of funding might be pursued after the two-year funding period?

Proposal Components

• Cover Sheet (1 page): Project title, abstract, team info, budget request
• Project Summary & Budget (max 4 pages): Includes the issue being addressed, research questions, timeline, community partner involvement, assessment/evaluation plans, scholarly output, anticipated impact, and detailed budget with justification

Selection Criteria
Coming soon

Selection Committee
Coming soon

Proposal Submission
Coming soon