Popular topics  for questions about The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships:

About the Institute 

What is the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships?
The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships at the University of Vermont will create partnerships with local organizations that expand opportunities for economic growth and improve the quality of life in rural communities.  The Institute will support programs that engage UVM faculty and staff in service to Vermont.  It will offer seed grants to accelerate innovative solutions through its partnerships.

Who was the Institute designed for?
The Institute was designed to reach, engage, and partner with Vermont leaders and businesses who are working on impactful solutions to rural challenges including the future of agriculture, education, transportation, housing, health care, energy, communication systems, work, natural resources, policy, and governance.   

What does the Institute provide?
The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships will offer Vermont organizations valuable access to UVM research, data, faculty expertise, student internships, workforce connections, and grant funding opportunities to support opportunities for economic growth and development in rural communities.

How is the Institute connected to the Office of Engagement at UVM?
The Office of Engagement and the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships have the same team and the same mission: to connect Vermonters to University people and resources. While the work of partnership-building will be completed through the Institute for Rural Partnerships, our broader engagement work will continue through the Office of Engagement. 

Institute Funding and Research Collaborators

How is the Institute funded?
The Institute is funded through a $14 million, 4-year grant to UVM from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Funding will support the Institute and grant funding opportunities. 

Who is involved?
The University of Vermont Office of Engagement will work with USDA’s NIFA and a newly created Innovation Works (I-Works) Advisory Board to execute the Institute’s objectives and approve funding and resources for Institute partner applicants. Research collaboration will also take place with two other Institutes for Rural Partnerships at Auburn University and the University of Wisconsin.

Partnership Identification & Criteria

How are partnerships identified with the Institute?
We invite Vermont organizations to partner with UVM to access our research, faculty expertise, student engagement, data services and advanced computing, product development and start-up support, among other services. If you are working on a solution, our seed grants can support your partnership with our programs. We are seeking impactful partnerships based on solutions for the following rural challenges:

  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Transportation
  • Housing
  • Health Care
  • Energy
  • Communications Systems Work
  • Natural Resources
  • Policy and Governance

How can organizations apply for a Rural Partnership grant?
Applications for partnership grants are available starting on November 10, 2023. To apply for a grant, organizations should submit a Letter of Intent through our webform. Ideas that incorporate partnerships, that are potentially impactful, and which meet our criteria for feasibility, inclusion, and scalability will be invited to develop a grant proposal. We will work with organizations to identify partnerships and other resources. To learn more about our grant program, including application process, timelines, and criteria, please visit our website.

Currently, I do not have an internal partnership with UVM, is someone able to work with me in creating the internal connection?
Yes. The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships is run out of the Office of Engagement at the University of Vermont. If you are looking for a partnership, email us at engage@uvm.edu.The OOE (Office of Engagement) Team will work with you to find the right partnership connection for your project.

What necessary components are needed to submit a Letter of Intent?
The following are the required components for the Leahy Insitute Letter of Intent:

  • Applicant Name
  • Email Address
  • Phone Number
  • Organization Name
  • Annual Operating Budget
  • Does your organization currently have a partnership with the University of Vermont?
  • Brief Project Description
  • Project Start/End Date
  • Estimated Total Project Budget (number only—no supporting documents required for LOI)
  • Amount Requested from Leahy Institute

How much money should my organization request?
Organizations may apply for Capacity Grants ($10,000), which will support project and partnership development.   Our Seed Grants (up to $300,000) will support partnership projects that advance innovative economic and/or community development solutions. Our Implementation Grants (up to $300,000) support a second-year funding opportunity for Seed Grant recipients. The amount your organization requests depends on your project budget and capacity for impact.

Does a Seed Grant applicant have to apply for the full $300,000 award amount?
The Seed Grants have a maximum award amount of $300,000 for one year. However, not every project will have a budget of $300,000. The best practice for determining funding amounts is to ask for what would best fit the needs of the project.

Does some of the grant funding go to UVM partner when building budget or would their work be covered by UVM/other funding?
Funds will go to the UVM partner if it is a component of the project design and is included in the budget submitted in the proposal. There are no additional UVM sources of funding for these projects.

Grant Approvals & Partner Support

How will the Institute decide what grants to fund?
The Institute will prioritize partnerships that have research potential, opportunities for student engagement and internships, and are most likely to make an impact in one or more of our priority focus areas. The Innovation Works (I-Works) Advisory Board will vet these partnership opportunities, review applications, and provide input toward awarding and approving funded projects. 

What is the Innovation Works Advisory Board?
The Innovation Works (I-Works) Advisory Board was created to advise the Institute on its work and to help promote, review, and approve partnership opportunities that will provide nationally scalable economic development solutions. Board membership is comprised of community and business leaders, and key University leaders including Dr. Roy Beckford, Director of UVM Extension in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Dr. Corine Farewell, Director of UVM Innovations, and Dr. Kirk Dombrowski, V.P. for Research and Economic Development at UVM.

Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
This grant is open to all organizations that work within the State of Vermont, and particularly those whose work positively impacts Vermont’s rural communities. We will accept applications from nonprofit organizations, for-profit enterprises, start-ups, local governments, and internal UVM applicants. (Update 11/16/2023: Partnerships with external organizations are not required at the letter of intent phase of our application process).  

How do I know how much funding to request for the project?
The best practice for requesting funding is to request the amount that will promote the greatest impact while also considering the organization’s current capacity. Project sustainability past the Seed Grant lifespan is a major component of proposal evaluation, so it is important to consider what the immediate needs are but not promise too much that the project’s sustainability would come into question.

What project costs are eligible, and which are ineligible?
All costs directly associated with the project are eligible. This includes personnel time, including graduate student and postdoctoral research support, devoted to the funded project.  Indirect costs of up to 1% are allowed on modified total direct costs.

What are the reporting requirements for this grant program?
Funding recipients will be asked to complete two reports over the yearlong period of performance: a 6-month report in September 2024, and a final closeout report in March 2025. It is the Institute’s intent to keep reporting streamlined and we will attempt to reduce burden on the awardee wherever we are able.

If awarded, how will the funding be distributed?
Funds will be distributed through a reimbursement model. Award recipients will submit invoices to the Leahy Institute for project expenses incurred and will be reimbursed from there.

If I am denied funding for this cycle, what are my next steps?
If your partnership does not receive funding in this first cycle, there will be more opportunities to request support. The Institute for Rural Partnerships will host subsequent grant cycles over the coming years with different areas of focus. We will be publicizing future grant cycles in our Office of Engagement newsletter. Please sign up here to receive updates from the Institute for Rural Partnerships directly to your email inbox.

The first deadline is fast approaching, when will the next deadline for a letter of intent be determined?
All dates for future funding rounds will be released in Spring 2024. Sign up for our newsletter to receive timely notices on future grant rounds.

If my project does not get chosen in this initial funding round, can I apply again next year?
Yes, you and your organization may apply again in subsequent funding rounds.

If I have multiple project and proposal ideas, can I submit multiple letters of intent or is it limited to one?
Yes. The purpose of the Letter of Intent is to introduce project ideas to the Leahy Institute advisory board. You may submit as many LOIs as you have project ideas, as long as each project aligns with the priority focus areas for the Leahy Institute.

How will UVM students be involved in approved Rural Partnerships?
The Institute seeks to cultivate reciprocal relationships among UVM constituents and rural communities, in service to Vermont’s economy. UVM students will engage in internships and service-learning projects that support partnership projects. Internships will be paid short term micro-internships, semester and summer internships, and new internship models. Intern cohort programs will provide programmatic support for intern hosts and professional skills training for groups of interns working across the state.

The Statewide Internship Pilot Project was prototyped in Washington County, Vt., during the summer of 2023. The Institute funded internship wages for ten interns at eight businesses over a 10-week period, supporting many new intern hosts and introducing students to the economic vitality of rural Vermont. Interns attended weekly professional development workshops offered at the UVM Career Center. Intern hosts additionally utilized UVM resources to help them recruit, hire, manage, and evaluate their interns. For the next four years, a new sector of VT will be the focus of the pilot each summer. 

Is student involvement a requirement when submitting a project proposal?
Student involvement, whether it is internships or service-learning projects, is not a requirement but is highly valued. Contact us at engage@uvm.edu for more information on student engagement.

In what ways can student engagement be a part of my project?
Community partners can engage with UVM students through

What is Service Learning?
Each year, between 80-100 community-engaged Service Learning courses are offered at UVM. Students apply their coursework in real-world settings, and in ways that address priorities identified by their community partners. Faculty provide a structure for accountability to the project or service that benefits the community partners and helps students learn from their experience.

Students doing work as part of community-engaged learning partnerships may engage in:

Service Learning courses are facilitated and overseen by the Community Engaged Learning Office.
 

Contact Us

Who do I contact with additional questions about the Institute and application process?
For questions about the Institute for Rural Partnerships, please contact us at engageUVM@uvm.edu or via phone at 802-656-8911.

How do I stay up to date on news and information about the Institute?
To help stay up to date on the Institute for Rural Partnerships news and information, please sign up for the Office of Engagement monthly newsletter and follow on social media at @engageuvm.