Grant and Community Engagement Support

Proposal Support

VII supports proposal writing by providing ideation, written content and project collaboration in the following areas: 

  • building and sustaining community partnerships 
  • sharing opportunities to connect research to student learning 
  • cultivating and communicating impact with and for the people we serve 

 

Through our collaborative infrastructure, VII helps investigators identify and engage with key stakeholders, including K–12 educators and community organizations, to ensure outreach efforts are authentic, inclusive, and impactful. We provide support: 

  • Integrating VII’s existing K–12 and undergraduate programs—such as summer camps, research and learning experiences, and mentoring initiatives—into proposals to enhance broader impacts.   
  • Aligning outreach strategies with community needs and educational goals to empower researchers in designing proposals that are not only scientifically rigorous but also socially responsive and educationally enriching. 

Support doesn’t stop with proposal writing. We are as invested in the research as you are, and we remain engaged throughout the life of the project—helping to ensure that ideas and discoveries are connected to the communities they aim to serve. By fostering ongoing collaboration with students, educators, and community members, VII closes the feedback loop to co-create long-term impact that informs and enhances both the research and its relevance beyond the academic setting. 

Thinking about running a summer camp to share your research with K-12 kids? Looking for community partners to collaborate on broadening participation? Look no further!

VII has many options to support your planning and implementation journey, including:

  • Creating modules or content for VII existing programs (such as Explore Engineering for high school students)
  • Design considerations for planning your own camp for minors
  • Examples of successful K-12 student or teacher projects and engagement
  • Feedback on your plans or ideas