(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The University of Central Missouri Foundation is sponsoring a new grant program to fund faculty and staff projects that directly benefit the university’s learning environment.
At its meeting Jan. 25, the Foundation Board of Directors voted to set aside $25,000 to fund individual grants ranging from $100 to $5,000 in fiscal year 2014. The deadline for the first year’s proposals is March 29.
“We have a very talented group of faculty and staff members who, in many cases, just need a small infusion of resources to make a significant impact,” said Jason Drummond, executive director of the Foundation and vice president for development. “There is no better way to demonstrate the Foundation’s commitment to the academic environment than to directly invest in our faculty, staff and students.”
The UCM Foundation is the official fundraising arm of the University of Central Missouri. Established in 1979, the foundation procures, maintains and administers philanthropic gifts that advance the university’s mission and help students attain their college goals.
In keeping with that mission, the UCM Foundation established the Opportunity Grant Program in support of faculty and staff who have ideas but insufficient funding for entrepreneurial projects that will strengthen the university’s learning environment and students’ academic experience.
Through a competitive process, the UCM Foundation Opportunity Grant Program will provide one-time seed money for these projects that advance the university’s strategic positioning platform and result in significant outcomes.