Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grants from the Anne Goss Foundation

Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grants from the Anne Goss Foundation

Information and Guidelines

The Center for Engaged Learning is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership between The Anne Goss Foundation and Providence College designed to promote student entrepreneurship and innovation. Through this program, Providence College students can apply for funding from the Anne Goss Foundation to carry out entrepreneurial projects or participate in experiential learning opportunities to develop an entrepreneurial mindset which allow students to see themselves as entrepreneurs.

Applicant Eligibility

• All full-time Providence College students (undergraduate, graduate, continuing education) are eligible to apply.
• Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Preference will NOT be given to students studying business.
• Students may apply as individuals or in groups.
• Proposals may include faculty or staff in a mentoring or advisory role only, not as a group member. A faculty/staff sponsor is not required.
• Awards are made to students. If an award is made to a group, all members of the group share it equally.
• A student may only be listed on one application per academic year.
• International students must receive approval from the Dean’s Office before applying.
• If stipends are requested, students must be able to be legally employed in the United States.

Eligible Expenses

Students are encouraged to be creative with their requests, with the one restriction that all proposed expenses must directly relate to entrepreneurship and innovation. Any amount can be requested, but awards are expected to fall within the $2,500-$10,000 range and be commensurate to the size and scope of the project.

Eligible expenses and activities include, but are not limited to:

• cost associated with new ventures;
• purchasing software, datasets, or equipment;
• case and business plan competition fees;
• stipends to support unpaid internships;
• stipends to support unpaid faculty-student research;
• expenses related to the organization/production of events;
• consultant fees;
• travel and other costs associated with research trips or participation in professional conferences.

Application Procedure

Applications will be welcomed at any time and reviewed when they are received. To apply, the following materials must be submitted to cel@providence.edu as a single PDF file. Please include the materials in this order:

1. Project/experience/opportunity description (No more than 2 pages)
2. Proposed timeline for project (No more than 1 page)
3. Detailed budget description listing all anticipated expenses with a justification for each expense
4. Brief bio of each student applicant. Bios should be no more than 500 words long and should include how the student’s unique skills and expertise will contribute to the project and how this project would enhance the students’ academic and career goals.
5. A résumé for each student applicant (the following information must be included on each résumé: name, major(s), expected date of graduation, telephone number, email address, and current cumulative GPA). Faculty/staff sponsors have the option of including a current CV or résumé.

Proposals will be reviewed by personnel from the Center for Engaged Learning and individuals recruited by the CEL with expertise relevant to the proposed project. Only exceptional proposals (1-3 per academic year) will be endorsed by the CEL and forwarded to the Anne Goss Foundation for their consideration.

Applications which are deemed promising but not yet exceptional will be invited to revise and resubmit to the CEL. Applicants will be notified within approximately one month what the status of their application is (endorsed, revisions requested, or rejected).

Personnel at the Anne Goss Foundation will make the final judgment as to whether a project will be funded. If funded, awards will be made to Providence College and managed by the CEL.

Grant Requirements

Grant recipients must submit a concise but comprehensive report to the CEL at the completion of the project. Invitations for a Foundation representative to observe relevant project events are encouraged. In addition, students are expected to contribute a poster or oral presentation on their project at a campus‐wide forum.

Grant recipients whose projects involve human subjects, animals, or international travel must also receive approval from the Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or Center for Global Education, respectively, before funds will be dispersed. Grant recipients are expected to be familiar with and comply with all aspects of Providence College’s Intellectual Property policy.