New grants to help faculty, students address North Dakota’s needs
How can faculty and students at UND partner with organizations across the state to make life better for North Dakotans?
A new program from UND’s Office of the Provost hopes to answer that question in a very direct way.
Starting this spring, UND CONNECT will fund as many as 10 proposals from faculty looking to set up exactly those partnerships, said Provost Eric Link and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Randi Tanglen.
“Service is central to our work here at the University, and our research enterprise is multi-faceted, expansive and growing both in scope and significance,” Link said. “The UND CONNECT initiative is just one aspect of this work, but its importance and potential are significant.
“This is a program designed to build connections between the work of the University and the work of the state.”
Grants through UND CONNECT are open to all faculty members at UND, including special appointment and part-time faculty, according to the program’s website.
Proposals are due April 19 to be considered for selection by May 10, and will be recommended for selection by the Senate Scholarly Activities Committee.
Up to $5,000 can be awarded to proposals that meet three objectives:
- Improve the quality of life in some fashion for communities within North Dakota
- Involve students and provide unique learning opportunities or experiences for these students
- Integrate faculty expertise, student learning and the active participation of at least one North Dakota community organization/partner.
“We know that our faculty care about North Dakota communities but don’t always know how to get involved,” Tanglen said. “Professors come to UND because they have a deep passion about an area of academic research, and they want to make it come alive in the classroom and the world around them.
“UND CONNECT is a way to make that possible.”
