Community-Based Research-to-Practice Program

Student Proposal Deadline: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2024 (11:59 pm)
Mentor Letter of Recommendation Upload Deadline: MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2024 (11:59 pm)
Decisions Announced Early March

The Research-to-Practice grant is intended to support collaboration between undergraduate students and the Pittsburgh community. We define the term “research” loosely and encourage students to prioritize learning with and from their community partners. 

Students will apply for the Community-Based Research-to-Practice awards through the Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development Office (previously known as Undergraduate Research Office - URO), in a process similar to that for the SURG and SURF programs. Applications will then be reviewed by the Center for Shared Prosperity.

Proposal Format

• Your proposal may be up to 3 pages, single-spaced.
• Please note that ALL pages of your application materials will show as black and white (not in color) during the review.
• Typeface: We recommend at least a 12 point serifed font (such as Times or Palatino), justified left (right ragged).
• First Page: At the top of the first page, please state your project title and names of all students submitting the proposal. The next item is your Abstract, and subsequent headings and body of the proposal.
• Spell Check: Remember to spell check and read through your proposal carefully. You are requesting funds and your proposal is a reflection of your commitment to the project.
• If you will work with Human Subjects: Read A Note on Human Subjects for instruction.

Components of Application: Headings and Content

Please include the headings in the proposal exactly as they appear below.

Abstract - a concise summary of the proposal, in ~200 words

What - 

• Question, issue, or community goal your work will address (cite literature and/or historical or current local efforts as appropriate)

Why - 

• Describe how your personal and/or CMU’s expertise (expertise can be defined expansively) is relevant to addressing you identified community issue or goal, including how this expertise is complementary to your community partners’ expertise
• Previous or current efforts by community that are relevant to your work, with an emphasis on local efforts
• Describe how your work will exemplify the Center for Shared Prosperity’s values (defined on the CSP website) of compassion, collaboration, and curiosity  
• Any additional information that is relevant to your personal interest or goals for this work

How - 

• General timeline for the work and key deliverables, including an approximation for frequency of meetings with your mentor (as well as any graduate students, post-docs, or staff who are also overseeing the work), community partners, and other relevant stakeholders 
• Resources to be used
• Schedule and criteria that will be used for evaluating the project’s progress
• Ethical considerations: If your project includes human subjects, it may require IRB approval. Make sure to inform your mentor as early as possible to determine if you will need to apply for IRB approval or waiver. 

Who -

• Community or community partner you intend to work alongside 
• If possible, identify the category of the “Increasing Level of Community Involvement, Impact, Trust, and Communication Flow” diagram best describes the partner participation in your work
• Relevant skills, experiences, coursework, etc., of the students participating in the project. Please include here a separate paragraph on each student in the group, their role in the project, and how their background aligns with that role.
• Relationship(s) with mentor(s) who will be involved in the project
• Description of your relationship to community members, community-based organization, or community-based issue

Dissemination of Knowledge and Sustainability

• Plan for sharing the outcomes and learnings of your work (E.g., Meeting of the Minds, community meetings or events, etc.)
• Plan for sharing results with community stakeholders including, if applicable,  how ongoing activities might be transferred sustainably to community partners

Optional Supporting Materials -

• These may include interview or survey protocols, correspondence with community contacts, or other key materials that do not fit within the body of the proposal

* NOTE: Only submit optional supporting materials if they are pivotal to the committee’s understanding of your project.

A copy of your resume that highlights any relevant community-based experiences the applicant(s) may have

Letter of recommendation from the faculty advisor for your project