UT faculty and community members will provide guidance for interdisciplinary student teams, addressing issues provided by an external organization or from the student teams themselves. Teams will each create and draft a 1-2 page executive summary of a policy brief and create a 5- minute slideshow presentation that provides a solution to the problem. The challenge runs from September through November, steering clear of interrupting Fall Break or finals. If your team ranks among the top five, you will move on to the Finals in January and February.

Deadline to participate: September 12, 2014

Find out more: http://tinyurl.com/HBPPC

Contact: [log in to unmask]

2. National Geographic Young Explorers Grant Workshop, Public Lecture to held at UT

A morning grants workshop (focus: students 18-25) will provide grant writing advice and networking opportunities with National Geographic grantees and staff members. An evening lecture, open to the public, will feature National Geographic explorers Kenny Broad and Mark Synnott for a memorable presentation.

Key date: Sept. 12, 2014. Workshop: 10:30 a.m, Shiloh Room, University Center. Lecture 7 p.m, University Auditorium, University Center.

Details: http://tntoday.utk.edu/2014/09/03/national-geographic-hosts-young-explorer-grants-events-ut/?&utm_source=tntoday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2014-09-03

3. Civility and Community: Community Engagement Pedagogy Starts Here

Respect for diversity and inclusion are core values on our campus — and important elements of community engagement, too. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville affirms the value of each member of the diverse university community and recommends that all UTK community members adhere to the following Principles of Civility and Community.

Find them here: http://civility.utk.edu/

4. UT Garden Sunflowers Part of Labor Day Community Art Project in Krutch Park

UT Gardens were among several partners in the Labor Day Sunflower Project, begun in 2007 as a creative means of uniting a single neighborhood, but it has since grown to symbolize the unification of all of Knoxville’s disparate parts. Each sunflower signifies the reward of individual labors while the circle embodies the coordination of those efforts.

More: https://www.facebook.com/utgardens/posts/779063398782519

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

5. Nominate a Grad Student for Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award

The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award recognizes graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education; who demonstrate a commitment to developing academic and civic responsibility in themselves and others; and whose work reflects a strong emphasis on teaching and learning. (H/T MN Campus Compact)

Deadline: October 1, 2014.

More: http://www.aacu.org/meetings/annualmeeting/AM15/CrossAward.cfm

FUNDING

6. Project Learning Tree: Environmental Education Projects Grants

Do you have an idea for a school/community native plant garden, a forest improvement project, a streamside restoration plan, a recycling program, or energy conservation project for your students? Need funds (up to $1,000) to implement it? Apply for a Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! grant!

Deadline: September 30, 2014

More: https://www.plt.org/apply-for-greenworks-environmental-education-grant

7. PeyBack Foundation: Programs Serving At-Risk Children

Established by former UT quarterback Peyton Manning, these grants for up to $15,000 (typical grant = $10,000) are for programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for at-risk children in Tennessee, Louisiana, Indiana, and Denver metro areas. Preference is given to programs that provide direct benefit to disadvantaged youth through activities conducted outside the typical school day (i.e., afterschool and summer programming). The Foundation has distributed more than $7.5 million in grants since 2002. The deadline for grant applications is February each year.

Deadline: February 1, 2015

Details: http://www.peytonmanning.com/peyback-foundation/grants

8. American Association of University Women (AAUW): Community Action Grants

Community Action Grants provide funds to individuals, AAUW branches, and AAUW state organizations as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equality for women and girls. Topic areas are unrestricted, but should include a clearly defined activity that promotes education and equality for women and girls. One-year grants ($2000-$7000) provide funding for community-based projects. Two-year grants ($5000-$10,000) provide startup funds for new projects that address the particular needs of the community and develop girls’ sense of efficacy through leadership or advocacy opportunities.

Deadline: January 15, 2015

Details: http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/community-action-grants/

NEW RESOURCES & READING

9. Broader Impacts Start Now (Baker Center Policy Challenge, Recap!)

Planning to write an NSF grant proposal? Hoping for letters of collaboration for your broader impact component? Not even sure what/how your broader impact component will be? These typically comprise major challenges for UT investigators. One of the best solutions is to begin collaborating NOW, even before you start writing your proposal. This way, you’ll already have something extant you can document and build into any number of strong proposals, along with an extant partner who is much more likely to provide you with the letters you need. Furthermore, there are many terrific opportunities for faculty who are willing to partner *now,* when the need has been expressed to those of us on campus who are watching for these collaborative opportunities, rather than *later,* when (and if) a grant proposal is funded. One such opportunity is the annual Howard Baker Public Policy Challenge, described above. Much of the organization and support is already provided for you on this one, with faculty leaders from all disciplines called upon to serve as advisors/mentors to student teams.

QUICK LINKS: ENGAGEMENT FUNDING, SUBMISSION CALLS, CONFERENCES, AND MORE

September 2014:

· Samuel Rubin Foundation: Social, Economic, Political, Civil and Cultural Rights Grants. Next Deadline: Sep. 5, 2014.

· Call for Proposals – 2015 NASPA Annual Conference. Deadline: September 5, 2014.

· UT Smart Communities Initiative Kicks-Off in Cleveland, Tennessee. September 10, 2014.

· HCA Foundation Accepting Applications From Middle Tennessee Organizations. Next Deadlines: September 12, 2014 & December 12, 2014.

· SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grants. UTK. REVISED DEADLINE: September 12, 2014) Contact: [log in to unmask].

· The Baker Center Policy Challenge. Deadline to participate this year: September 12, 2014.

· BTtoP: Engaged Learning, Civic Engagement & Development, and Psychosocial Well-Being of College Students. Deadline: Proposals are accepted on quarterly deadlines through 2014 (June 15, September 15, and December 15).

· Online Computer Library Center: Innovative Information Science Research Projects. Deadline: September 15th, 2014.

· Call for Papers –Service Learning in Engineering, Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship. Deadline: September 15th, 2014.

· Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations Fund for a Just Society. Deadline: September 15, 2014.