Undergraduate Catalyst Awards
The Curb Center offers Undergraduate Creative Catalyst Awards to Vanderbilt’s student population. These grants provide students with an opportunity to create innovative solutions to difficult problems and to focus on topics they are passionate about.
Successful projects demonstrate creativity, campus unity, and social engagement. More specifically, we are looking for proposals which:
- Integrate creative expression and problem-solving
- Generate creative encounters and experiences
- Facilitate connections across disciplinary, social, and institutional boundaries
- Reach beyond the campus boundaries to promote equity and social justice
Awards are made on a project by project basis, with the average award in the $300-$400 range. Additional funding is sometimes awarded to projects which feature robust interdisciplinary connections. In addition to the financial award the Curb Center also provides project management support and material resources to facilitate successful outcomes for all awardees.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested undergraduate students should submit proposals of 500 words maximum or an equivalent 3-minute video or PowerPoint slideshow which includes:
- An introduction to who you are
- A brief description of the project you are proposing
- What impact you hope to make with your project
- Whether your project interdisciplinary or collaborative in nature
- What steps are needed to turn your idea into a reality
- Are there any challenges to executing your plan
- What resources do you need to execute your idea
Additionally, we ask you to submit:
- A budget proposal
- A deliverables timeline & estimated completion date
All materials should be combined into one PDF document and sent to rachel.h.thompson@vanderbilt.edu with “Undergraduate Creativity Grant Application” in the subject line.
AWARD PROCESS
Grants proposals are reviewed by Curb’s Leadership Team on a rolling basis. After the group makes its award decision the applicant is advised of the outcome. This process can take up to 3 weeks after the Creativity Grant application is received.
If you have any questions about the Creativity Grant or its application process contact Program Manager Rachel Thompson (via phone or email) for more information.
