The Dean’s Leadership Circle (DLC) Grant Initiative allows Merage School student-serving organizations and faculty to apply for programmatic and research funding that will have a direct impact on campus and across industries. Grant funding typically ranges from $1,000-$10,000 per organization. The 2024 Grant Portal is open for applications starting January 29 and closes on February 28, 2024 at 5 PM PT.
Organizations and faculty members seeking support for the following categories are encouraged to apply:
Academic and Research Projects
Career Preparedness/Talent Pipeline Development Programs
Business Community Connections and Partnerships
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
Student Experiences/Services
The DLC is the premier philanthropic academic support group for The Paul Merage School of Business. Click here to learn more.
Criteria
Paul Merage School of Business student-serving organizations or faculty projects must have a UCI Foundation/Regents account number.
Proposed projects must fall under one of two categories:
Student-serving programs, providing:
Career Preparedness/Talent Pipeline Development
Business Community Connections and Partnerships
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives
Student Experience/Services
Faculty and Ph.D. Research Projects
Academic and Research Support
Proposed projects must take place (but are not required to be completed) between June 1-December 31, 2024
Applicants must be available to present their proposal* at the DLC Grant Initiative Pitch Event on April 23, 2024.
(*if your proposal is selected during the initial review process, see Funding Process below for more information)
Funding Process
Step 1: Application
To be considered, complete our brief online application with the following information:
Foundation/Regent account number
Funding amount requested
Project description (5,000-character limit)
Organization mission statement (if applicable)
Student-serving program/research project overview
Number of students served/research area of impact
Why you are applying for funding
Step 2: Application Review
The DLC Executive Board will meet to review applications the first week of March and select finalists to present their projects at the DLC Grant Pitch event. Finalists will be notified of next steps by March 8.
Step 3: Grant Pitch Event
Finalists will meet with DLC Executive Board Members in March to prepare for their 15-minute presentation at the DLC Grant Pitch event on April 23, 2024. This is an opportunity for applicants to connect directly with local industry partners and alumni.
The pitch deck is due on April 18, 2024 by 5 PM PT.
Step 4: Funding Amount Approval
Finalists will present their project at the DLC Grant Pitch Event. DLC members in attendance will vote to approve the funding amounts based on the project and presentation impact.
Finalists will be notified with their funding determination following the event.
Step 5: Reporting
If awarded funding, reporting requirements include:
An acknowledgement letter from grant recipients, due along with the signed Grant Agreement
A brief progress/final report, due on January 15, 2025, (6) months after the Grant Agreement
The Merage School Advancement office will coordinate the disbursement of the funds, acknowledgement letters and reports. If you or your organization have any questions regarding fund distribution or reporting, please contact advancement@merage.uci.edu.
