Apply

To apply to the Student Engagement Fund, you must complete an online application. 

As an undergraduate student (or as a faculty/staff member applying on behalf of a student) you may apply to fund research, artistry, or community-based research projects.

If you are majoring in a CLAS program, you can also apply for expense support to travel to conferences and NIU faculty-led study abroad programs. Limited funding is available for non-CLAS majors for travel to conferences and competitions.

Your request must include a clearly stated goal for the project, objectives that reflect the desired experiential learning outcomes and a detailed budget report for requested funds.

Students must have a 2.75 GPA or higher in order to be eligible for the program.

Funding and Expenses

You must request a minimum of $250 and you cannot exceed $3,500 per student per academic year (including both compensation and project supply funds). For these purposes, an academic year will be considered to be fall-spring-summer. All students are eligible to apply!

Project supply awards will range from $250 to $2,500. Eligible expenses include (but are not limited to):

• Conference registration fees.
• Travel expenses (excluding local transportation; e.g.: travel in DeKalb County).
• Materials and supplies specific to the project.
• Direct project expenses (e.g. copying, mailing surveys, etc.).

Additional Award Restrictions for Students

You may receive support for more than one project, subject to the following annual funding limits:

• No more than $1,200 per year in compensation.
• No more than $2,500 per year in project supply funds.
• No more than $3,500 per year in *total support.