Dean’s Grants for Student Life

The Dean’s Grants for Student Life support activities of current College undergraduates that contribute to community life in the University. Grant amounts range from $750–$1,500. A student can receive only one DGSL grant over the course of their undergraduate career.

Eligible projects may be individual student endeavors or group/student organization undertakings, whether recognized by the Center for Leadership and Involvement or not.

Applicants should carefully review all eligibility and application instructions below before beginning the application process.  Any application that does not fully comply with the below requirements, lacks recommendation letters or that is submitted after the stated deadlines, will not be considered. The review committee allows a grace period of one week after the deadline to receive recommendations. Applicants should alert their references to the deadline when requesting their support.

• A student may receive only one DGSL funding during their College career.
• Applicants should be current full-time College students in good standing with plans to enroll in the following quarter.
• Applicants may request up to $1500 in funding but the awarded amount will be decided by the DGSL review committee based on the merits of the project. 
• Applicants must agree to submit an activity report reflecting on their projects with an updated expense report before the end of the academic year.
• Projects need to be supported by a current UChicago staff or faculty advisor.
• If the project is being submitted by members in a Recognized Student Organization (RSO), the RSO's advisor in the Center for Leadership and Involvement must be made aware of the plan to submit a DGSL application.
• Funding of projects related to an RSO activity in prior years does not guarantee funding for the same activity in following years. 
• The DGSL do not support BA theses research, academic-based projects nor participation in academic conferences. Students seeking funding for academic activities should consult the Research Grant Programs page of the College Center for Research and Fellowships.   
• The DGSL funding shall not be used to cover payment for salaries, hired service, nor stipends.
• The DGSL will not fund projects retroactively. 
• Student may not receive funding from another University entity for the same project. 
• Complete applications with recommendations should be submitted by the midnight of one of the listed cycles. 
• Only complete applications will be reviewed by the DGSL review committee for a given cycle. The committee allows a grace period of one week after the deadline to receive recommendation letters for an application to be reviewed. Applicants should notify their recommenders of the deadline when requesting their support, and follow up with them on the submission of letters/evaluations. 
• The review committee examines and makes decisions on applications within three weeks following the deadline. Activities that expire before the three-week mark will be considered retroactive and will not be funded; aspiring applicants should select their submission cycle accordingly.  Applicants will receive decision notifications via email once the committee renders decisions.
   

• Complete DGSL application form which includes:
  
  • Student biographical data
  • Faculty or staff advisor information
  • Project Title
  • Proposal Summary 
  • Description of Proposed Project
  • Duration of Project
  • Names of Project Collaborators
  • Relevance of Project to Student Life on Campus
  • Request Project Funding
  • Itemized Project Budget 
• Staff or faculty advisor evaluation: Applicants need to provide the name and email address for at least one staff or faculty advisor. Applicants should confirm with their advisors that they are willing to complete and submit evaluation form on their behalf prior to submitting applications. Applicants submitting an application on an RSO’s behalf, need to list the name and contact information for the RSO's advisor in the Center for Leadership and Involvement.

• Applications for Dean's Grants for Student Life are reviewed and awarded during several cycles throughout the academic year. Applications must be submitted by 11: 59 PM of the following deadlines:
  • September 30
  • October 31
  • November 30
  • December 31
  • January 31
  • February 28
  • March 31
  • April 15
• The review committee examines and makes decisions on applications within three weeks following the deadline. Applicants will receive award notifications via email once the committee renders decisions.

• Apply for the Dean’s Grants for Student Life
• Application Review Criteria:
  • Quality of application and written material
  • Project viability and feasibility
  • Student preparation that ensures project success and completion
  • Recommendation/evaluation from staff or faculty advisor

For any questions or concerns, please contact collegedeangrants@uchicago.edu.