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New URSA funding opportunities for 2023-24 opening July 31

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity is pleased to announce three new funding opportunities for the 2023-24 school year.
Each opportunity will open for applications on July 31, 2023, and close on Sept. 10, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Funds for each award must be spent by June 15, 2024.

Community-Engaged Learning Award (Updated)
Undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, staff and faculty from all ²ÝÁñÉçÇø- affiliated campuses are invited to apply for an URSA Community-Engaged Learning Award of up to $5,000. This award is an opportunity for undergraduate students to work with a community partner to explore a community need or problem through research or scholarly activity. Awarded proposals will clearly describe a project with a desire to collaborate with a community partner (leader, organization, or population) who is willing to support undergraduate student involvement.

Climate Change Project Awards
The Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity Office is pleased to announce the availability of grants for up to $5,000 for undergraduate research and creative activity projects focused on climate change themes. This grant opportunity is open to all undergraduate students who are interested in conducting scholarly work on various aspects of climate change, including but not limited to climate science, climate policy, visual or written communication of climate issues, and climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. We encourage interdisciplinary projects.

Student Belonging and Community Awards
A strong sense of belonging has a significant impact on student success and well-being. One of the key reasons that students consider leaving a university is because they lack a sense of belonging. Belonging and social integration also correlate with many of the things that drive student success and lifelong fulfillment, including academic success and motivation, self-efficacy, a greater sense of self-worth, and overall mental well-being. Further, students who feel like they belong on campus are also more likely to use support resources like academic advising and financial aid.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity has funding available for up to $5,000 for projects focused on cultivating a culture of respect, connection, belonging, and community for undergraduate students at ²ÝÁñÉçÇø and ²ÝÁñÉçÇø-affiliated campuses. Priority will be given to proposals that align with ²ÝÁñÉçÇø-wide initiatives for improving the experience for undergraduate students, promoting student success, and fostering a sense of belonging and community while advocating for fair treatment of students. Undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to apply to fund applied research or scholarly/creative activities that support priority areas including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

• fostering connectedness, belonging, and sense of community;
• embracing both commonalities and diversity within the human experience;
• cultivating kindness, compassion, and gratitude toward each other and ourselves;
• highlighting connections between community/personal identities and sustainability in the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø community/environment;
• sparking dialogue about environmental and social issues that have a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color;
• providing opportunities for project-based and applied learning for the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø community.

Requests for Proposals PDFs available on the URSA website. Please see the CEL webpage for additional information. Climate Change Project Award and Student Belonging and Community Award webpages are also available for more information. If you have any questions, please contact the URSA Office at uaf-ursa@alaska.edu, or call 907-450-8772.