Request for Proposals & Submission Guidelines

University of Kentucky 2025 Engaged Project Funding

Request for Proposals (RFP)

The University of Kentucky is committed to expanding collaborative relationships between the university and the Commonwealth. University of Kentucky engagement funds are administered through the Office of the Vice President for Land-grant Engagement to university units to support engaged outreach activities.

Through this RFP, UK Engage is excited to expand the level of outreach and engaged work of the University. Engagement funding will support innovative projects which provide residents of the Commonwealth with actionable knowledge and skills they can use to improve their lives, livelihoods and/or communities. Engagement funding is intended to expand collaborative efforts between the University of Kentucky, UK Cooperative Extension and engaged partners across the Commonwealth while addressing important public needs.

Funding awards will be focused on proposals that increase university engagement with communities for shared beneficial outcomes. Awards will support projects and innovative ideas which expand the impact of the university while addressing a public need. Projects are encouraged to align with at least one of the six priority areas defined through the UK Engage visioning process. Those include:  

1. Industry and Workforce Development
2. Health and Wellness
3. Community Vitality and Economic Development
4. Youth Leadership and Service
5. Community Arts
6. Land-grant University Partnership

University of Kentucky 2025 Engaged Project Funding

Request for Proposals (RFP) Application Details

The 2025 UK Engage project funding supports initiatives that connect university units with Cooperative Extension and community partners to address priority initiatives. Funded projects should be designed to provide all collaborators (campus and community) with clear roles for leadership and responsibility. Project proposals should be developed with Cooperative Extension and community partners.  

The term “community” can represent place-based physical communities, communities of common interest or communities of identity. Project scale may engage towns, counties or state/regional networks. Project examples may include  strategies for expanding participation in evidence-based programs; designing and implementing outreach;engaging community residents in participatory research; or student involvement in community-based initiatives.

Funding Available

University of Kentucky engagement funds are administered through the Office of the Vice President for Land-grant Engagement. Project funding requests up to $20,000 will be accepted for review. Project funding will be administered through the university, and all spending must comply with applicable university guidelines and procedures.  

Projects with supplemental or matching funding from departments will be looked upon favorably.

Funded proposals should expand collaboration and transdisciplinary work and have clearly identified outcomes and measurable impacts.  

Timeline: 2025 Engaged Project Awards should be utilized within a 12-month period [approximately 2025 calendar year] unless a longer time period is requested and approved for project completion. All projects must be completed within a 24-month period. Unspent funds will be remitted back to the Office of the Vice President for Land-grant Engagement at the conclusion of the approved project period. 

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for project funds include full-time employees of the University of Kentucky.

Proposal Funding Timeline

• Initial call for proposals: August 2024
• Proposal submission deadline: October 10, 2024
• Announcement of funding: January 2025
• Funding Available: January 2025

UK Engage: Proposal Submission Process

Proposals should provide the following components. To complete the request for support, the following information should be prepared, saved and submitted as one PDF document.

Applicant and Project Information

• Complete the submission form, linked here. 
  • The submission form requests the following:
    • Primary Applicant Contact - name, title, college/department, email, phone number. 
    • Co-project leads (if applicable) - name, title, college/department/organization, email
    • Collaborating Partners – name(s), title(s), college/department/organization, and email(s) for each.
    • Indicate if the primary applicant, co-project leads and/or collaborating partners have participated in the 2023 or 2024 Engagement Academy.
    • Select which Land-grant Engagement Vision Priority area(s) the proposal aligns with.
    • Provide a Project Abstract (50 words)
• The following should be included in order as a PDF uploaded to the submission form:
  • Project Name - Please include a name or title for this project
  • Project Overview – Description of the project and rationale 
    • Provide a one paragraph synopsis of the project overview to detail the importance of initiative and how it aligns with the UK Engage priority areas. (50 words)
  • Project Detail:
    • Explain the importance of the issue addressed. (100 words)
    • Describe the work you propose to do. (300 words)
    • Anticipated outcomes – Clearly define anticipated short/medium/long-term outcomes of the effort and describe deliverables including methods/plans for sharing or publishing research or learning outcomes. (300 words)
    • Collaborative Partnerships: Detail who is on the project team and the roles of each partner. Include how this project benefits each of the collaborating partners. (300 words)
  • Describe (as applicable) how the project will be assessed for sustained impact. Include if there are plans for sustained funding, resource commitments and long-term measurement or assessment efforts that will be used. (200 words)
• Project Budget - Please provide a detail of anticipated project costs and a one-page funding narrative detailing spending categories. (Click this link for additional detail regarding allowable expenses) Projects with supplemental or matching funding from departments will be looked upon favorably.
  • Click here to download a budget template.
• Proof of Partnership - Please attach proof of partnership for all collaborating partners. This may take the form of MOUs, letters of support/commitment, acknowledgement of participation, etc. This should be included as a part of the PDF after the project budget. If you do not currently have an established partnership with Cooperative Extension, contact Kim Henken at kim.henken@uky.edu. 

Assessment Rubric

Proposals will be assessed on how much the proposal aligns with the core elements of effective engagement identified below.

1. Projects must be collaborative. Engaged scholarship proposals must be reciprocal and mutually beneficial. It is expected that engagement proposals will involve clear roles and identified benefits between campus, Cooperative Extension and community partners.
2. Activities address an identified community or public need in alignment with the priority areas identified through the UK Engage Visioning Process, University's Strategic Plan and the UK Cooperative Extension Service Community Assessment. Proposals should align with the priorities and interests of all collaborative partners.
3. Projects will pursue scholarly outcomes. A scholarship-based model of engagement means that projects will enhance understanding or advance knowledge of community needs, community members, researchers and/or students. Projects should have plans in place to assess and share learning outcomes from the project (these may include student learning outcomes, public education initiatives or publication goals to advance learning in the field).
4. Projects are encouraged to be multi-disciplinary with shared responsibly. Interdisciplinary projects encourage participation of multiple forms of knowledge. University campus, Extension and community partners engage in mutual planning, implementation and assessment of activities.
5. Projects stimulate new learning, community engagement and adoption of new practices. Project provides tools/resources to implement practices as a deliverable outcome.
6. Projects include measurable or documentable outcomes and/or impact and demonstrate commitment to document and report program outcomes or evaluation results to UK Engage.
7. Proposals have a clear plan for sustained impacts or continued service.
8. Proposals include a budget that is clearly defined and aligns to scope and provides appropriate justification for expenditures. 

Funded projects: UK Engage would like to showcase our outreach efforts and impacts. With the notice of award, project teams will be asked to provide further detail of budgets and evaluation plans. In addition, successful applications will be asked for permissions for publicity and a written commitment to share program evaluation reports and/or success stories with UK Engage.