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Chapter Service Project Grants

Award Cycle: Fall

Sigma Tau Delta's Chapter Service Project Grants are designed to encourage local chapters to be innovative in developing projects that further the vision and goals of the Society. The Society will award a limited number of grants, for no more than $500 each, to support local chapter activities. Funds may be requested for separate projects or for parts of larger projects, and chapters should explore ways to use Service Project Grants in combination with funds secured from other sources. Funds may be requested for ongoing projects, but there is no guarantee that projects funded during one grant period will receive funding in future grant periods.

Past projects may inspire your chapter to apply for a service project grant. Read final reflections on Past Winners of Chapter Service Project Grants.

Eligible Projects

Appropriate projects include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. service project connected to the discipline (for example, literacy projects connected with local partner schools or social services)
  2. projects intended to broaden appreciation for language and literature (for example, audio/video projects related to literature)
  3. research project costs (for example, photocopying, postage, print materials, or travel); research projects must involve multiple chapter members and demonstrate their impact on the larger community
  4. projects intended to increase chapter membership or visibility
  5. joint projects secured with another society partner. (Chapter members or Advisors should check the chapter directories of Sigma Tau Delta, Sigma Kappa Delta, and NEHS to determine which chapters exist in the immediate geographic region. Identify potential partners and contact the Chapter Advisors to propose a joint project.)

Service Project Grants may not be used to fund regional conferences, chapter literary journals, chapter websites, travel to conventions or conferences, or awards to Advisors. Grants may not be used to pay academic fees for chapter members, or to provide scholarships, awards, prizes, or salaries to chapter members, to their Advisors, or to members of the Board. If you have questions regarding project eligibility, please contact the chair of the Service Committee, your Regent, or your Regional Student Representative.

Any active chapter is eligible to apply for a Service Project Grant, but no chapter may receive a Service Project Grant in consecutive years. Projects must have the endorsement of the Chapter Advisor and must be organized and conducted by student members. Student members should prepare the Project Grant application and should serve as the project director. Active chapters are also eligible to apply for a Service Award and/or an Outstanding Chapter Award and may use relevant information assembled for the Project Grant application when applying for a Service Award and/or an Outstanding Chapter Award. Specific application requirements are posted with each award description.

Eligible Applicants

Only an undergraduate or graduate student who is an active chapter member may apply. AwardSpring will not accept an application made by a Chapter Advisor.

Criteria for Selection

In making awards, the Service Committee will consider criteria such as the following:

  • The significance and contribution of the project to the community and the alignment of the project with the vision and the goals of the Society
  • The proposal's concept, definition, organization
  • Careful preparation of an appropriate budget
  • Letter of endorsement from the Chapter Advisor

How to Apply

AwardSpring Logo

Applications for the Chapter Service Project Grant are accepted through AwardSpring. The link to access the Sigma Tau Delta AwardSpring platform will be posted on the AwardSpring Application informational page of our website once the Fall Awards Cycle opens.

If you are using AwardSpring for the first time, you must create an account by clicking "Register." If you have used AwardSpring previously, you should use login using your email address and existing password.

Required Materials

1. A written narrative that:

  • describes the concept and need for the project, the intended outcome, and how it meets the goals of the Society;
  • identifies the target audience;
  • provides a timeline for the project from starting point to completion; and
  • describes how the project will be evaluated and publicized.

2. Project budget to include:

3. One letter of endorsement from the Chapter Advisor.

Deadline and Dates

See the Awards Overview page for the Chapter Service Project Grant application window.

The first half of the awarded funds will be mailed in early January and the second half when a final project reflection is submitted. The Final Project Reflection is due May 1.

Final Project Reflection

To provide additional recognition for the project, the final project reflection should be submitted as a narrative (300-800 words) or a video (2-3 minutes) suitable for posting on the Society's blog, WORDY by Nature. Your reflection should supplement the narrative you submitted with your Project Grant application. In your reflection, please include the following:

  • an anecdotal account of the event, including quotes from participants;
  • a reflection on the successes of your event;
  • comments about any obstacles or failures;
  • revisions/plans for future iterations of the event;
  • suggestions for other chapters looking to emulate your event; and
  • a photograph (high-quality jpg file) that can be used as a head shot of the reflection author.

Also, please submit 2-4 images (high-quality jpg files) from the event.

A separate, final budget should be submitted illustrating how project funds were spent. Questions about your final reflection should be directed to sigmatdapply@niu.edu. Failure to submit the final project reflection will jeopardize a chapter's chance of winning future grants.

Blog Guidelines

Questions

Please contact the Central Office staff at sigmatdapply@niu.edu.