Student Academic and Creative Grants

The Office of Peace and Justice at Loyola University Maryland offers grants to support undergraduates who wish to pursue advanced research, creative work, and professional development related to the promotion of peace and justice.

Grants may be used to support academic or creative work in any area of peace and justice studies. Proposals for funding may include (but are not limited to): stipends for academic conferences, costs associated with fieldwork and/or research materials, or other educational experiences that relate to local, national, or international conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Applications for requests under $500 will be accepted on a rolling basis; requests over $500 will be considered once per semester (Nov. 1 and April 12). The maximum amount for any individual grant is $750.

Application Requirements

Eligibility

• Any Loyola undergraduate, either full-time or part-time, including graduating seniors, is eligible to apply. Full-time students as well as Peace and Justice minors will be given preference. Applicants can be majoring in any academic discipline, but the proposed project must be related to the promotion of peace and justice.
• Students may be funded once in a given year.

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Quality of the proposal (including organization and clarity of project description) 
• Significance of proposed work and its connection to the study of peace and justice
• Student qualifications and likelihood of completing the project successfully (previous accomplishment in area should be noted)
• Testimony of support exhibited in mentor letter of recommendation

Procedures

Proposals for academic and creative research will include the following: 

• A typed, double-spaced proposal of 1,000 words or less, including project title, objectives and methodology, significance to the study of peace and justice and to the student’s education 
• A bibliography of texts and secondary sources already consulted and sources likely to be explored during project funding
• Faculty mentor letter of recommendation (500 words maximum) that assesses the quality of the proposed project, the student’s readiness to undertake the proposed research, and potential outcomes or educational benefit (examples might include publication, presentation at an academic conference, or public reading/exhibition)
• For students who received funding, a final report summarizing outcomes is due three months after the completion of the project

Applications should be submitted electronically to the director of the Office of Peace and Justice, Dr. Heidi Shaker.  Proposals will be reviewed by the Peace and Justice Steering Committee on a monthly basis and, where applicable, after the November/April deadlines.