The Nichols Humanitarian Fund was established in 2006 by the E.C. and Lucile Hamby Nichols Trust in honor of First Lady Laura Bush's speech to Senior Class Day. The purpose of the fund is to enable Vanderbilt students to volunteer for local, domestic, or international humanitarian relief efforts. Support is primarily focused on summer projects, or on projects that take place during defined academic breaks. Funds are available for educational and other expenses.
Eligibility
All currently enrolled Vanderbilt students are eligible to receive assistance from the Fund. Preference will be given to undergraduate students who have not yet completed their baccalaureate degrees. Although other projects will be given full consideration, during this second year of operation we will also give preference to students who apply to the Vanderbilt Initiative for Scholarship and Global Engagement (VISAGE), sponsored by the Global Education Office (GEO) and the Office of Active Citizenship and Service (OACS). For more information about this program contact Marie Martin at marie.h.martin@vanderbilt.edu. Other opportunities for global citizenship experiences may be found at www.vanderbilt.edu/geo and www.vanderbilt.edu/oacs/global.html.
Administration
The Fund is administered by the provost and vice-chancellor for academic affairs and his designee(s).
Application Process
Eight to twelve awards will be made during each academic year. Applications should be sent to Associate Provost Howard Sandler, 221 Kirkland Hall. The review of the applications will be in two stages. First, the merits of the proposal will be assessed. Second, the logistics and safety of the experience will be monitored.
In addition to biographical information, students need to present a defined plan of action that should include the following:
| a. |
A description of the situation to be addressed; |
| b. |
A statement outlining the reason(s) for volunteering; |
| c. |
Suggested recognized relief agencies with which the student might affiliate; |
| d. |
His/her expected role and the anticipated duration of the assignment; and, |
| e. |
The amount requested from the Fund, including a budget outlining how the
funds would be spent.
|
Students will also be asked to provide a letters of recommendation from a Vanderbilt faculty member.
The first deadline for submitting applications for Summer 2009, is December 1, 2008. Applications will be reviewed by the Office of the Provost, with all applicants notified before the beginning of the Spring 2009 semester. Applications received after December 1 will be considered if funds are still available.
Reporting
Students who receive support from the Nichols Humanitarian Fund are required to prepare a brief report on their experience upon returning to campus. They may be asked to participate in campus and external media activities as well. The Office of the Provost will share these as appropriate with the trustees of the E.C. and Lucile Hamby Nichols Charitable Trust.
Extraordinary Events
The intent of the Fund is to provide Vanderbilt students with a unique summer experience, while challenging them to develop a thoughtful response to dealing with humanitarian crises. Unfortunately, there may be events of such extraordinary impact (e.g., Hurricane Katrina) that more immediate efforts are called for. In those cases, the Office of the Provost will issue a call for applications and will be prepared to provide funds outside the normal application process and timeline. |
