Application Information
How to Apply
Apply online in the fall semester. Applications open around the end of October and are open for a limited period of time. Awards are announced in the spring semester. Contact the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt for the exact schedule each year.
Here’s a short video about the Fund and how to apply.
Eligibility
It is preferred that students’ proposed projects for funding be a minimum of two weeks in length and occur during the summer academic break. Preference will be given to undergraduate students who have not yet completed their baccalaureate degrees and students who have yet to receive the award. Awards are based on merit and need but students must demonstrate financial need in order to be considered for assistance. Students from all degree programs and majors are welcome to apply. Experiences are preferred to be completed before students graduate.
Application Requirements
Applications will be read by a selection committee and evaluated according to the following (1) project organization and feasibility including fiscal practicality and risk management considerations, (2) impact on the community being served, (3) expected outcomes both personally and for the community, and (4) motivation for pursuing the service experience. Projects must be service-based but may focus on any area of work (e.g. education, women’s rights, poverty, healthcare, etc.).
Students are required to complete and submit the official application form. A complete application consists of the online application which includes short answer questions and uploading a detailed budget. All elements of the application will be completed and uploaded into the InfoReady system.
Award Requirements
Upon being granted an award, students submit a photograph of themselves and a brief bio that includes hometown, class year, major or current course of study, and a brief description of their service project and where they will be doing it.
Throughout the service project, student recipients are required to submit Facebook posts to the dedicated Nichols Humanitarian Fund page. The posts will be brief yet descriptive updates of the incredible service projects and overall experiences each student is accomplishing. Photos are always welcome!
After completing the service project, students are required to submit a reflection paper that summarizes their experience, lessons learned, and outcomes achieved. The reflection paper is due to the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt at experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu by August 31st.
Project descriptions and reflection reports are published to the Nichols Humanitarian Fund website and may be shared outwardly. Students are asked to carefully proofread these works (checking for grammatical errors, minor edits, etc.) before submitting to the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt.
Recipients attend a Meet and Greet in the spring semester where they do a simple but meaningful service project as a cohort and present their individual projects at a Service-Learning Showcase in the fall semester.