Total funding available $25,000 (25 $1,000 awards)
The Center for Community News mission is to create/support local media collaborations where student reporting is seen outside of the college/university. These take many different shapes and sizes, from a class partnership to university/college run news rooms, to the management of media interns, to re-directing student media to be more community focused. UVM’s Center for Community News mission is to document and inspire and encourage more such partnerships.
At the core of these partnerships are creative, persuasive and skilled faculty members. In this program, CCN provides $1,000 to faculty who are planning to start one of these (or significantly grow an existing one) starting in fall 2024 or Spring 2025. An additional ten awards are set aside for faculty in the State University of New York system (SUNY) participating in the Institute for Local News. Funds can be used any way you wish, including as salary, as expenses, for students – as long as they meet your university rules. And the funding is awarded to the faculty member.
Applications and Funding
Deadline: June 14 – midnight. (Friday)
Decisions are expected to be made by July 2. Feel free to email Hannah.Kirkpatrick@uvm.edu with any questions. Put “Faculty Champions” in the subject line. We reserve the right to ask additional questions before selection.
Requirements
Participate in at least 3 collaborative virtual meetings/trainings or other cohort support events with other programs and CCN.
The content produced should be freely available to news platforms in your state per land-grant public service goals.
Produce a one-page summary of your project three months & again six months after launched.
Present your findings either in person or at a virtual conference within 18 months of launch – that will bring information back to CCN/UVM.
Produce a final report (2-3 pages), within 18 months, and also cover how your project adds to the mission of CCN and UVM (to encourage more local news/university partnerships).
Selection Criteria
These programs are done in many different ways and we will be glad to brainstorm with you on how you might operate. You can also view case studies. CCN will provide on-going support and resources to enable this project.
Our decision criteria includes; Impact (students, stories and partners), Diversity/Equity, Sustainability (potential of program to continue), Collaboration (within and outside the institution).
Financial Information
Selected winners receive $1,000 in two installments. The initial $500 is awarded after selection and the second $500 is awarded upon successful documentation. Please contact Andrea.Rosencrantz@uvm.edu with any questions about the paperwork.
Notification and publicity
Successful applicants will be asked to provide an image and short bio for CCN’s faculty champion page and work with CCN to promote your recognition within your university/college and local press.
Funding is provided by generous donors to the Center for Community News at UVM and in collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight and MacArthur Foundations.