Engaged Opportunity Grants
Cornell's Engaged Opportunity Grants support collaborative campus-community projects that integrate undergraduate learning with real-world community issues through sustained partnerships.
Funder: Cornell University
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Fall cycle) | March 2027 (Spring cycle)
Funding Amounts: Planning: up to $5,000 (1 year) | Sustaining: up to $5,000 (2 years, requires $5,000 match)
Summary: Supports collaborative campus-community projects that foster undergraduate community-engaged learning and address community-identified issues.
Key Information: Requires both Cornell and community partner involvement; some units/colleges have special restrictions.
Description
This grant supports the development and sustainability of campus-community partnerships that drive positive change on issues identified by communities, with a focus on providing meaningful community-engaged learning experiences for Cornell undergraduates. Projects must involve both Cornell and community partners in all phases—development, implementation, and assessment—and must integrate educational content with community engagement, fostering critical reflection among students. The program offers two types of grants: Planning grants (for new partnerships and pilot programs) and Sustaining grants (for ongoing, embedded initiatives). Activities eligible for funding include expanding community-engaged learning into courses, developing programs, creating training or assessment tools, raising public awareness, and deepening university-community partnerships.
