Public Scholarship Grants

Rackham Public Scholarship Grants provide support for publicly engaged scholarly projects created between Rackham students and community partners. Examples of public scholarship include, but are not limited to, exhibits, policy research with a direct impact, podcasts and public programs, K-12 partnerships, and community-engaged research with clear benefits to partners and students.

Rackham Public Scholarship Grants support students’ professional and academic development by helping them:

• Apply their scholarly knowledge and skills to serve the public good.
• Initiate and develop trusting, mutually beneficial collaborations with their community partners.
• Experience the rewards of scholarship, pedagogy, and/or creative work that affects positive social change and justice.

Overview and General Requirements

• Only students enrolled in a Rackham program of study are eligible. Students who are only a part of Rackham through a certificate program (in other words, their home program or department is not a part of Rackham) are not eligible to apply.
• Rackham students may apply for up to $10,000 to lead and implement a public scholarship project over the course of a one-year grant period.
• Projects need to be co-created with a community partner. Partners might include, but are not limited to, civic organizations, cultural institutions, government agencies, K-12 schools, or grassroots community groups.
• Project collaborations need to be mutually beneficial, meaning they are designed to meet student goals and the needs of a community partner.
• Projects should result in deliverables and an impact that contributes to the greater public good and/or a community identified need, not only a scholarly field.
• Students may apply individually or as part of a team of students.
• Students are only eligible to receive a public scholarship grant once.

Program Goals

The Public Scholarship Grants aim to support students’ intellectual and professional development by helping them:

• Apply their scholarly knowledge and skills to serve the public good and work toward positive social change.
• Initiate and develop trusting, mutually beneficial collaborations with their community partners.
• Experience the rewards of scholarship, pedagogy, and/or creative work that affects social change and justice.

How to Apply

The application process includes the following steps:

1. Attend the required grant workshop.
2. Submit a draft proposal (optional, but strongly encouraged).
3. Submit a full application.

Students with questions about the eligibility or alignment of their idea or project with Rackham’s Public Scholarship Grants program are encouraged to reach out to [email protected] to connect before starting the application process.