It's not too early for Virginia Tech graduate student and postdoctoral researchers to consider applying for the next round of Civic Engagement Microgrants. In April, Research! America congratulated the two dozen recipients of their 2024 Civic Engagement Microgrants, selected from proposals received last fall.

    Each microgrant of up to $4,000 is given to teams led by master’s, Ph.D., postdoc, or professional students to facilitate public dialogue around “issues of common concern.” According to the grant’s website, “These funds provide opportunities for grantees to develop skills in areas such as communication and program planning, along with an understanding of public policy and government to have an impact in their local communities.”

    The Civic Engagement Microgrant program encourages program creation for early-career researchers, as well as fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Applicants can apply under three categories:

  • Startup Funding, capped at $4,000, for new science policy groups under one year old
  • Design Your Own Community Event, capped at $2,000, to create events that bring together scientists, policymakers, youth, and the local community.
  • Digital Media, capped at $2,000, to support the use of technology and social media in science and civic engagement projects of interest within the local community.

    More information about each category and eligibility information can be found on the award website.

    Three organizations of note who received 2024 microgrants are MKE Overdose Prevention, Science Policy Society at Penn State, and SPARK at Dartmouth (STEM Program for Aspiring Researchers and Kids). 

    MKE Overdose Prevention, a group from Concordia University in Wisconsin, aims to use social media as a platform to destigmatize harm reduction efforts and advocate for public health programs. 

    Science Policy Society’s goal is to organize an event called “From Campus Research to Community Impact: Advancing Local Policy Using Local Science.” This event is geared towards teaching researchers how to communicate science with local leaders. 

    SPARK at Dartmouth is a new student organization that provides middle school students the opportunity to engage in hands-on science experiments. They hope to introduce historically underrepresented students to STEM fields early, in turn building future generations of scientists.

    These examples show that student-run organizations, especially ones that interface with their local communities, are prime candidates for microgrants. More information on prize recipients from this year can be found on the “2024-2025 Microgrant Recipients” page of the website.

    We encourage any groups whose current or prospective work may fit into one of these award categories to apply. While the 2025 timeline has not yet been released, applications for the 2024 cycle were open between October 7 and November 15, 2024. Let’s get funding for the amazing work Virginia Tech scientists are doing in our community!

Written by Bria Weisz, Center for Communicating Science graduate assistant