Funding

Immersion Vanderbilt Funding AY 2026-2027

Two distinct funding applications are offered for students to apply for Immersion funding:

1. Immersion Experience Funding - supports qualifying Immersion experiences
2. Culminating Project Funding - supports Immersion culminating projects.

If a student is seeking funding for BOTH an Immersion experience and a culminating project, they will submit two separate applications.

Where to Apply

• Immersion Experience Funding: embedded in the Immersion Experience Form
• Culminating Project Funding: embedded in the Project Plan Proposal 

Funding application review will only occur after the designated form has been approved. Approval of the Immersion Experience Form and/or Project Plan Proposal does not guarantee that funding will be awarded.

Student Eligibility

• First-year students may not apply until the summer after their first year. 
• Graduating students may not apply for Immersion Experience Funding during their final semester. The last opportunity to apply is their second-to-last semester.
• Students who have already received Culminating Project Funding, or have already submitted their culminating project, are not eligible for Immersion funding. 
• Students can receive no more than $10,000 in Immersion funding across all four years at Vanderbilt. Exceptions to this limit include VUSRP and Global Summer Fellows support for Maymester.

Before You Apply

• For Immersion Experience Funding, identify a Vanderbilt faculty or staff experience mentor. For research and community engagement experiences, the experience mentor must be faculty. 
• For culminating project funding, identify a Vanderbilt faculty member to serve as your Immersion Vanderbilt faculty adviser. 
• If traveling outside of Nashville, submit the required VTRAC Form and any other required documentation. 
• Attend a funding workshop-- required every year, even if attended before. Workshop schedule posted monthly in AnchorLink. 

Funding Limits

Awards are competitive, based on application strength and budget request, and never guaranteed. Funding limits are as follows:

Immersion Experiences 

• Fall/Spring maximum: $3,000
  • Nashville unfunded experience: $1,500
  • U.S./International unfunded experience: $3,000
  • Faculty led travel: $1,000
• Full summer experience: up to $6,000
• Partial summer experience: up to $3,000

Culminating Projects — up to $2,500 (one-time grant)

• Domestic Conference: $2,000
• International Conference: $2,500
• Senior Design: $1,000 per eligible student
• Other approved projects (art thesis, recital, CMA seminar): up to $2,000

If Not Awarded

You may revise and resubmit once per semester. Reviewer feedback and application workshops are available to help strengthen your proposal. 

The Provost's Faculty Immersion Grant is available for faculty leading two or more students through an Immersion experience or to the completion of a culminating project. This fall, faculty whose cohorts are identified can include their students in the process. Immersion student awards can be made concurrently with faculty awards to streamline the process. More details will be announced soon.