Capital High Impact Project (CHIP) Grant
The goal of the Capital High Impact Project (CHIP) Grant program is to provide well qualified and highly motivated Capital students with support to engage in high impact educational experiences. These experiences include undergraduate research, community engagement/community-based research, and internships. This grant program may also support study away opportunities that involve undergraduate research, community engagement, or an internship.
Capital High Impact Project Grants provide up to $3,000 per student. Eligible expenses include:
- Compensation (stipend and/or living expenses) to support unpaid and non-credit internships, community engagement projects or research experiences in the Columbus area.
- Domestic and international travel to participate in research experiences, internships, or community engagement projects.
- Travel to professional conferences and presentations related to the completed high impact practice.
- Materials for research and creative scholarly activities.
Funds cannot be used to pay for anything that is covered by tuition/financial aid, is part of the cost of attendance (e.g., room and board, course books), or anything for which one receives credit. Any equipment and materials purchased with these funds become the property of Capital University.
The only limit to the type of project that can be supported by a CHIP grant is your imagination!
- Do you dream of travelling to the Louvre to see the paintings that inspire your own artwork?
- Do you wonder what motivates athletes, scholars, business people or politicians?
- Are you curious about how scientists discover and test the effectiveness of new medications?
- Do you imagine yourself helping to dig a well in a small village to provide a source of safe drinking water?
All of these projects and more could be funded by a CHIP grant. Discuss your ideas with your faculty mentor and don’t be afraid to think big!
If you have any questions, please contact the Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning at research@capital.edu.
Eligibility
In order to apply for a Capital High Impact Project Grant an applicant must have completed at least one semester of study at Capital University. In order to access grant funds, students must be enrolled full-time, have completed one year of undergraduate study at Capital and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above at Capital. All awarded CHIP funds must be used prior to the recipient’s graduation from Capital.
Application
Students may apply for a CHIP Grant beginning in their second semester at Capital University.
A call for applications is sent in January each academic year.
Applications are due on Friday, February 14, 2020 by 5:00 p.m.
The application includes a detailed description of the planned experience including a timeline (up to 750 words), a description of how the planned experience relates to the student’s academic, career or personal goals (up to 250 words), and a budget.
Grant recipients are required to submit a reflection report upon completion of their project (approximately 500 words). These reports are shared with donors and used to communicate about the CHIP program to internal and external audiences. Recipients are also expected to share their work with the Capital community at the Symposium on Undergraduate Scholarship.
CHIP grants will be awarded based on the merits of the proposal and the availability of resources to support the proposed project as determined by the Student Grants Review Committee. This committee will consist of the Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning, one faculty member from each school of the college, and a representative from Development. Faculty for this committee will be appointed by the Provost.
View the rating form used to evaluate
The CHIP program is intended to be selective. Therefore, availability of funds and other resources may not be the only limitation on the number of grants awarded each year.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their grant review by April 1.
Accessing CHIP Grant Funds
Capital High Impact Project Grants are awarded to students based on their application materials. Requests for disbursement of awarded funds are made to the Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning. Students may access these funds as early as their second year of study at Capital. Funds must be used and projects completed by the students’ final semester of undergraduate study. If a student withdraws from the university, they forfeit the grant award. Once requests for disbursement are approved, students may proceed with using their awarded funds for their approved project. Note that CHIP funds are taxable. Students are advised to consult a tax professional.
After securing a faculty mentor and developing a plan for their project, recipients of a CHIP grant must fill out a Request for Disbursement Form in order to access CHIP funds.
Request for Disbursement Form (DOC)
Note that no funds should be used prior to submission of this form and notification of approval. Once approved, the student may begin using funds for the approved expenses.
Need help?: If you have any questions, please contact the Assistant Provost for Experiential Learning at research@capital.edu.