Student Academic Year Grants

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GRANTS (supported by the Arthur Crafts and Helen A. Papaioanou Funds) provide resources for students who design volunteer service projects or an academically-related community-engaged learning project and are intended to cover incidentals such as supplies, fees, or research expenses.  Awards are competitive, are granted without regard to financial need, and are available to students in all disciplines and classes. Funding up to $200 for qualified individuals is available, however transportation-related expenses CANNOT exceed $100.  For more information, contact Kristen Cloutier at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships or click here to apply.
DEADLINE: Rolling (reviewed every week)
CLICK HERE to view a sample project description.
CLICK HERE to view a sample budget.

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH GRANTS support material costs related to promising research projects undertaken by Bates students in collaboration with local or statewide community partners. Community-engaged research (CER) combines collaborative inquiry, critical analysis, and social contribution/action. Its questions and methods are determined in consultation with community, and its results are shared in ways that optimize its usefulness to community. CER research grants are competitive, are granted without regard to financial need, and are available to students in all disciplines and classes, with preference given to projects likely to produce the most community benefit. Funding up to $500 for qualified projects is available. Applications are reviewed every two weeks. Questions should be directed to Darby Ray at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships or click here to apply.
DEADLINE: Rolling (reviewed every two weeks)
CLICK HERE to view a sample budget.

COMMUNITY WORK-STUDY FELLOWSHIPS provide work-study funds for academic-year community-engaged work with local non-profit agencies.  Students can apply for jobs already listed for local organizations.  Students may also work as literacy or math tutors in the local schools through the AMERICA READS/AMERICA COUNTS program.  Students MUST qualify for work-study funds.  Compensation is at a rate of $12.75/hour.  Host agencies must agree to reimburse Bates College for 25% of the student’s total earnings.   For more information, contact Marty Deschaines at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships.  Click here to download a community work-study application or click here to download an America Reads/America Counts application.
DEADLINE: Rolling, but most positions are filled soon after the start of the semester

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS provide funding, mentoring, and peer reflection for student projects that engage public needs, as articulated in dialogue with community partners, through significant academic research. CER Fellows receive a stipend of $400 for the Winter semester. Equally important, they take part in a non-credit Fellows’ Seminar, being led this year by Darby Ray and Morgan Kinney, which exposes them to the history, methods, and ethics of community-engaged research across different disciplines, engages them in thinking about the distinctive values and challenges of community-engaged research, and offers them an interdisciplinary peer community for supporting and sharing their work. The Seminar meets on a biweekly basis during Winter Term and culminates in a session at the Mount David Summit. Meeting times are chosen to accommodate student schedules. Students work as usual with their project’s faculty advisor, with Darby and Morgan providing additional guidance and support. For more information, click here, and contact Darby Ray at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships with any questions.
DEADLINE: Review of applications for the 2024 cohort will begin Dec. 22, 2023.

STA/RT (SHORT TERM ACTION/RESEARCH TEAM) FELLOWSHIPS engage a team of 6-10 students for approximately twenty hours per week in diverse community-engaged research projects and research-based action projects during the 3.5 weeks of Short Term.  The time commitment involved in STA/RT is akin to that of a rigorous Short Term course.  STA/RT Fellows receive a stipend of $400 for their full participation in the program. During weekly team and one-on-one meetings led by Harward Center staff, Fellows develop work plans, evaluate progress toward goals, and brainstorm ways to address challenges. Supervision and guidance are also provided by community partners.  Students who are selected to participate in the STA/RT program will be allowed to remain in on-campus housing and continue regular participation in the College’s meal plan.  For more information, please contact Darby Ray at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships or click here to download an application.
DEADLINE: More information for 2024 is forthcoming.

COMMUNITY LIAISON GRANTS provide funding and resources for student clubs and athletic teams interested in performing community-engaged work. Using an assets-based approach to the off-campus community, Community Liaisons develop activities, programs, and partnerships designed to encourage civic learning and action among their peers. Community Liaisons may apply for modest funding to support community-engaged activities.  For more information about this program, click here.  Proposals should be submitted at least one week prior to the scheduled activity.  Click here to access the application form.
DEADLINE: Rolling