Vanderbilt is preparing to mark the 150th anniversary, also known as the sesquicentennial, of the university’s founding in 2023.
As part of the upcoming sesquicentennial celebration, the Office of the Chancellor is launching a grant program to support activities and projects that engage with the university’s history, look ahead to its future, and explore what makes Vanderbilt distinctive and unique. The grant program welcomes proposals from groups across the Vanderbilt community including faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Proposals that focus on a particular contribution by a group or program are encouraged. We also welcome proposals that demonstrate collaboration across the university. The grants will be used to support a range of activities and programs, including but not limited to, academic forums, research, performances, exhibitions, events, and celebrations. Award sizes will vary from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on the nature of the proposal.
Grant proposals should highlight Vanderbilt’s mission and impact locally, nationally, and globally and include one or more of the following elements:
- Historical research into an aspect of Vanderbilt’s history,
- A vision for Vanderbilt’s future as a leading global institution,
- Projects and activities that embody our motto “crescere aude” or “dare to grow,”
- An illustration of how projects and activities celebrate Vanderbilt’s culture and identity.
Funding Uses
Sesquicentennial grant funding may generally be used for:
- Postdoctoral hires
- Graduate student payments, including stipends and fees
- Term limited consultants or skilled workers
- Travel
- Materials or supplies
Unallowable uses generally include:
- Tuition or financial aid support for students
- Faculty salaries
- Course buyout
Award Eligibility and Terms
- All groups, programs, and organizations within the Vanderbilt community are invited to submit a proposal. The proposal lead must be a full-time, Vanderbilt University-employed faculty or staff member.
- Grant funds must be used within 24 months after they are awarded.
- Applicants may submit or be a partner/co-applicant on only one proposal per application cycle.
- All projects and materials related to the grant must be documented and submitted to the Office of the Chancellor for the sesquicentennial archive in Special Collections and University Archives.
Application Checklist and Requirements
All proposals must be submitted online using InfoReady Review, Vanderbilt’s online submissions portal. Award dates may vary depending on the number of proposals submitted.
Part I: Applicant Information
- Applicant first and last name
- Applicant VUnetID
- Applicant email address
- Applicant department or unit name
- Applicants may list up to 5 co-applicants in InfoReady
Part II: Proposal Information
- Proposal title,
- Project description (500-word limit),
- Short description of the group and the proposal team members’ roles,
- Detailed description of how funds will be used (500-word limit),
- Expected outcomes/deliverables (500-word limit),
- Budget overview, including line items of estimated expenses (a budget template is available for use in InfoReady)
- Total funding request
- Funding request date (select one or both):
If you select two dates, please rank order your preferences in the next field.- April 3, 2023
- July 5, 2023
- Rank your funding date preferences:
If you only selected one date preference, you do not need to rank order the dates below.- Funding date 1:
- Funding date 2:
Part III: Uploads
- Detailed budget (applicants must use the budget template available in InfoReady)
Grant Timeline
Application deadlines for the 2022-2023 Academic Year:
Fall 2022
Deadline: August 29, 2022, 11:59 pm CST
Awards announced: October 24, 2022
Funds available: November 7, 2022
Final report due: 60 calendar days after the conclusion of all grant-related projects and activities
Spring 2023
Deadline: January 23, 2023, 11:59 pm CST
Awards announced: March 31st, 2023
Funds available: April 3rd, 2023 or July 5th, 2023
Final report due: 60 calendar days after the conclusion of all grant-related projects and activities
Questions
Questions may be emailed to 150grant@vanderbilt.edu.