Announcement

In this time of global crisis, immense uncertainty, confusion, and stress, we are launching this small grants program to support campus initiatives focused on building community and improving mental health and well-being of faculty, staff, and/or graduate and undergraduate students. 

Sponsored by the Radical Resilience initiative, a new campus-wide effort to promote mental health and well-being through a social justice lens, this new initiative is a collaborative effort overseen by a working group of staff, faculty, and students, in partnership with Healthy Campus and the Student Health Center.

Scope

This call for proposals provides short-term, one-time funding. Successful proposals will show promise of sustained impact without an ongoing funding commitment from this source. 

We seek proposals that address one or more of the following six core areas. Definitions of each can be found, here: https://healthycampus.ucsc.edu/wellness-initiatives/radical-resilience/defining-our-terms.html

• Harnessing Strengths
• Collective Care and Support
• Purposeful Action
• Self-Compassion
• Community and Belonging
• Social and Healing Justice

Proposals should lead to one or more of the following outcomes:

• Foster compassion, resilience, and academic success;
• Challenge notions of failure and reframe “success”;
• Provide faculty, staff, and/or students with tangible, practical skills, and resources that build capacity, including how to effectively respond to those in distress; and
• Strengthen community.

Funding and Eligibility

Available funds

1. Funding available: A total of $65,000 is available for project implementation. 
2. Amount per project: $500 to $5,000.
3. Project Duration: To be completed on or before June 30, 2021. 

Who is eligible to apply:

• Staff, faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students. 
• Each proposal must have an identified sponsor with a fiscal administrator.
• Individual students, student groups, or student organizations must have a faculty, staff, or unit fiscal sponsor.
• Students applying for funding must be planning to return the following school year.

Possible projects might include:

• Events, workshops, and invited presenters.
• Group activities.
• Resource sharing and programs that encourage help-seeking, destigmatization, challenging notions of failure, community engagement, etc. 

Ineligible expenses:

• Requests for permanent professional staff positions will not be considered.

Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Likelihood and breadth and/or depth of impact on the goals above.
• Enduring impact of the project, with or without continued funding.
• Ability for results to be shared campus-wide.
• Feasibility. 

Submission and timing

Proposal Submission:

• The application is closed for 2020.

Reporting Requirements:

• A template will be provided via a Google Form for selected projects.

Timeline:

2020

• April 14, 2020- Small grants program announced. 
• June 1, 2020 - Proposals due.
• June 15, 2020 - Awards announced.
• June 15, 2020 - Project implementation can begin.

2021

• May 31, 2021 - Funds must be spent by.
• June 10, 2021 - Reports due.

Contact

Questions? Please contact Jessica Bulleri, Campus Wellness Program Manager, at jbulleri@ucsc.edu.