Supplement for Public Engagement
To support outreach and engagement efforts by graduate student researchers, the Graduate School offers Public Engagement Supplements. These competitive grants are awarded as a supplement to the three Graduate School Grants (Predissertation, Fieldwork, and Rapid Research Grants); most awards will be between $500 and $1,000. Public Engagement Supplements stem from UMass’s interest in advancing and applying knowledge and innovation to the betterment of society.
Doctoral students may submit an application for a Public Engagement Grant with a Graduate School Fieldwork or Predissertation Grant. Awardees of a Predissertation or Fieldwork Grant may also submit an application at a later date. Students may not apply for a Supplement for Public Engagement without also applying for, or having received, a Fieldwork or Predissertation Grant.
Public Engagement Supplements should outline a mutually beneficial collaboration between the graduate student researcher and an off-campus community, organization, or group. Examples of funded activities could include (but are not limited to):
- purchasing equipment to record a podcast to communicate about your field with non-experts
- developing an ongoing outreach program
- incorporating a special project into your dissertation research to address needs within your research community
- hosting events or developing materials to share your research results with impacted communities
Applications for a Public Engagement Supplement include a budget and a short essay (no more than 500 words) that addresses each of the following:
- Specific aim or aims of your public engagement project
- Overview of what you plan to do in your proposed public engagement project
- What community/group/organization will benefit from your public engagement project?
- How will this community/group/organization benefit?
- How will you collaborate with the community/group/organization in project development and implementation? (Proposed projects should not impose a burden—administrative or otherwise—on communities, groups, or organizations.)
- Plan for assessing the success of your public engagement project
Use the Supplement for Public Engagement Budget Template to develop your budget. Save your essay and budget as PDF files and upload them in the Supplement for Public Engagement Application Form. Include your first and last name in the file name for each document.
Eligible expenses may include travel, equipment, materials/supplies. Salary or other payments to individuals are not allowed. Students interested in applying for the Public Engagement Supplement are encouraged to contact Heidi Bauer-Clapp to discuss their project and budget before submitting their application materials. All funds awarded as Public Engagement Supplements must be used prior to defending your dissertation.
Applications for Public Engagement Supplements will be evaluated on the feasibility of the proposed project, quality of the project aims, and the potential impact on the intended community/group/organization.