2020 Seed Grant Proposals - Outreach Engagement Council

The application period closed on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

The Montana State University Outreach and Engagement Council invites seed grant proposals for the 2020-2021 academic year. Engagement continues to be a critical component of the MSU Strategic Plan: Choosing Promise. The program goal is to promote outreach and engagement activities that involve faculty, students and staff in partnership with local and regional constituents to address the needs of citizens in Montana and beyond. The grants are intended to encourage external and multidisciplinary partnerships and to leverage additional funds for engagement activities when possible.

Proposal Information and Requirements

Outreach and Engagement Seed Grant proposals may include:

Reciprocal relationships with external constituents (required)
Improving quality of life and benefit the public good
Testing innovative solutions and applications for specified measurable outcomes
Influencing professional practice
A communication/dissemination plan and presentation of the project results (required)
Applying proven strategies or unique solutions to a well-defined problem
Establishing a new engagement activity or expand an existing program to an advanced level
Opportunities for MSU students to gain experience

Award Information:

Approximately $20,000 is available for this round of funding. The maximum award request is $5,000. Funding for any given proposal is one-time only and awardees should not expect ongoing funding. Proposers are encouraged to use seed grant funds to leverage external funding and consider project sustainability.

Please note, funds must be spent by June 30, 2021. Please be sure that the proposed project can be accomplished given the current COVID-19 environment.

There are many ways to do virtual outreach in our current COVID environment and we encourage people to think about creative options. This is a great opportunity for enhanced creativity in outreach and engagement!

Who Can Apply:

MSU students, faculty and staff members are eligible to apply. The project team must include an MSU faculty/staff member and an external partner. Preference will be given to proposals that include student involvement.

Eligible Costs:

Funds may be used for project operations including materials, communications (promotion/dissemination), student or participant stipends, travel and event or facility costs. All funds must be expended following MSU and State of Montana policies. Funds CANNOT be used to pay faculty or staff salaries or stipends. Funds cannot be used to purchase equipment unless justified in the proposal as essential to the success of the project. Indirect costs (F&A) should not be calculated in the budget since this funding is internal to MSU. Funds will be transferred to the appropriate MSU department, college or unit to be managed.

Timeline:

RFP distribution – Week of August 17, 2020

Submission Deadline – October 7, 2020

Award Announcements – October 17, 2020

Final report and completion of expenditures – June 30, 2021

Proposal Preparation and Submission:

Proposals should include a cover page (accessible .docx), follow the Proposal Outline Form (accessible .docx), and be no longer than three pages in length (using 12-point font and one-inch margins). Letters of support from external partner(s) to the project are required. Appendices totaling up to four pages may be included for additional documentation, (e.g. letter of support from participating partner, past history, etc.). The proposal budget form must also be completed and attached to the proposal. The proposal must consist of a single PDF no longer than 8 pages and must be sent as an email attachment to Jennifer Raymond (j[email protected]) by 5:00 p.m. on October 7, 2020.

Proposal Review Criteria and Selection Information:

How well does the proposal address MSU goals related to mutually beneficial engagement? (10 points)
Does the proposal address how the team identified a solution to a community need as evidenced by literature, audience analysis, community input, external partner data or needs assessment?(15 points)
Do the proposed strategies and activities meet the identified need? (15 points)
Does the project involve MSU student(s) in a meaningful way? (20 points)
Is there evidence of a collaborative, multidisciplinary and/or reciprocal partnership?(15 points)
Does the project include measurable outcomes that can be completed by the end of the project year? (10 points)
Is the project sustainable after the seed grant funding ends? Is there evidence of a plan to leverage funds or opportunities for future funding?(5 points)
Is there a communication plan for sharing project and outcomes with a broader community?(e.g., scholarly publications, conference presentations, media coverage, etc.) (10 points)

Award Requirements:

Awardees will be asked to share their project progress (and results) with the Outreach and Engagement Council. Awardees are expected to complete a final report no longer than two pages in length (plus an appendix to include photos, video clips, media coverage, etc.). The report format will be provided. Funds must be expended by June 30, 2021.