In conjunction with the formation of the University-wide Rural Futures Institute, two new competitive grant opportunities have been announced and a Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued. The grants are for both research and teaching programs.

There will be two informational meetings held on Friday, September 7 on the UNL campus. A representative from the Rural Futures Institute will be at the East Campus Union at 10:00 a.m. and at the City Campus Union at 1:00 p.m. to provide an overview of the grants and answer questions or address concerns you may have. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend either or both sessions. See Kiosks for the room assignment.

The stated goal of the Research and Engagement grant is to foster the development of innovative multi-disciplinary research initiatives around topics that address issues critical to the future of rural communities and landscapes. Up to eight awards will be made, ranging from $75,000 - $150,000 each.

The goal of the Teaching and Engagement grant is to connect student learning and community engagement through the development, teaching, research and administration of transformational service learning courses. Up to eight awards will be made, ranging from $15,000 - $25,000 per award.

The research grant has a pre-proposal deadline of October 12, 2012. Full proposals for the teaching grants are due October 19, 2012. The teaching grant does not have a pre-proposal round.

All faculty and staff members in the University of Nebraska system are eligible to apply for these grants.

The grant information is available on the Rural Futures website at ruralfutures.nebraska.edu/grants in PDF forma