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Global Grad Grants - Program Tracks

Funding Tracks Criteria and Eligibility

Social Impact Track

For the Social Impact Track, selected students will be enrolled in the UC Davis Widening Circles Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all requirements of that program. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support the travel costs associated with their social impact internship, volunteer opportunity, or a globally-focused research project that engages with one or more local communities. You can identify your own project or find support through our program partner, Omprakash, which has connections to hundreds of community organizations around the world. See the Funding Section of the Overview tab for the types of costs that the grant can be used for.

Eligibility
  • Current UC Davis graduate or professional students.
  • In good academic standing.
  • International students are eligible.
  • Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.
Criteria
  • Demonstrated connection between the UC Davis Widening Circles program learning outcomes and your graduate studies.
  • Identify a social impact internship or research project related to your graduate studies.
  • Demonstrated connection between one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals and your social impact internship/volunteer/research opportunity goals.
  • Slight priority for internship/volunteer opportunities based in Latin America or Africa.
  • Priority for students with demonstrated financial need.
  • Priority for students with limited previous opportunities for travel.
Additional Requirements

Social Impact Track recipients must:

  • Complete all requirements of the UC Davis Widening Circles program.
  • Participate in the Widening Circles virtual symposium at the end of the summer.
  • Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.

What do we mean by "social impact"? Generally speaking, the UC Davis Widening Circles program is designed to help students get involved with issues pertaining to human and environmental well-being. This typically involves opportunities in fields like public health, education, sustainability, human rights and economic development—but we intentionally take a wide-angle view of what "social impact" really means, and we believe that it is possible to bring a social impact perspective to any kind of volunteer, internship or globally-focused research experience. This includes internships with nonprofits as well as opportunities in the private sector and public sector. For social impact research or community-engaged projects, we do want applicants to demonstrate how their proposed activity engages or impacts one or more local communities. Whatever your academic and professional interests may be, this program will help you reflect on how these interests intersect with broader questions about inequality, social change and your own impact on others.

Many graduate and professional students identify their own social impact opportunities independently, however you are also able to use the Omprakash network to find and apply to an opportunity. By registering on the Omprakash platform, you will be able to access this network. Visit the UC Davis Widening Circles webpage to Express Interest in the program and receive instructions on registering.

Research Track

For the Research Track, selected students will be enrolled in the Global Leadership Certificate Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all aspects of the certificate program by the specified deadline. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support research activity in the summer. See the Funding Overview Section of the Overview tab for the types of costs that the grant can be used for.

Eligibility
  • Current UC Davis graduate or professional students.
  • In good academic standing.
  • International students are eligible.
  • Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.
Criteria
  • Demonstrated connection between the Global Leadership Certificate learning outcomes and your graduate studies.
  • Identify a research opportunity/program related to your graduate studies.
  • Demonstrated connection between one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals and your research opportunity/program.
  • Slight priority for research opportunities/programs in Latin America or Africa.
  • Priority for students with demonstrated financial need.
  • Priority for students with limited previous opportunities for travel.
Additional Requirements

Research Track recipients must:

  • Complete the Global Leadership Certificate modules by TBC date.
  • Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.

Note: First consideration for all awards will be given to students who have not previously received a grant in their selected track.

Tags

Widening Circles UN Sustainable Development Goals Scholarships & Funding