Funding up to $1,000
Open to current Humanities Lab students
Extending impact and expanding reach
Applications close
March 5 (extended deadline)
Apply for a mini-grant
Are you a student who's currently enrolled in a Humanities Lab course? Apply for an Amplifier Student Mini-Grant from Seize the Moment at Arizona State University!
Amplifier Mini-Grants provide Humanities Lab students with up to $1,000 to increase their outcome's impact and reach by producing podcasts or videos, organizing public events, and more. Applying is easy. The deadline has been extended to March 5th.
To apply for a mini-grant, read the guidelines below. Once you've read the guidelines, work with your team to submit your application.
If you have any questions, you can read our FAQ, view past mini-grants, or contact Seize the Moment Initiative Coordinator Bri Noonan at blnoonan@asu.edu
Guidelines, funding, applications, and more
Guidelines
Amplify, v: gen. to make large; in space, amount, capacity, importance, or representation . . . to enlarge or extend in space or capacity . . . to augment in volume or amount . . . to increase the strength of (an electrical current, signal, etc) . . . (Oxford English Dictionary)
Amplifier Mini-Grants offer current students in the Humanities Lab up to $1,000 to advance their outcomes by deepening community engagement, extending impact, and expanding reach.
As part of the Seize the Moment initiative at Arizona State University, we're looking for outcomes that address an intersecting health, social, or environmental problem through a transdisciplinary collaboration that is based in the arts or humanities.
Within our larger commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, we also prioritize outcomes that serve or center marginalized communities, including but not limited to race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.
Past mini-grants
In the past, students have used Amplifier mini-grants to record podcasts exploring sustainable food systems, produce documentary films interviewing local chefs and professors about storytelling and food sovereignty, organize talks and panels deconstructing racial representations in video games, stage art performances and installations imagining corporations posing as local farmers, print informational brochures addressing hesitancy and barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine among immigrant communities, and more.
Amplifier mini-grants are made possible through Seize the Moment, an initiative of the Humanities Lab, ASU Leonardo, and the Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. For more information, visit Seize the Moment's website at http://humanities.lab.asu.edu/seize-the-moment.
Funding
Funding for Amplifier Mini-Grants is intended to help students reach wider audiences, engage with the public, and produce media, documents, and other assets and materials that extend the lifespan of outcomes for longer-term, more sustainable impacts in the community.
Allowable expenses
Each student group can request up to $1,000 to support their outcome. While your budget will vary depending on your needs, examples of allowable expenses include:
- Consultants: Honoraria for speakers at public events, individuals appearing in podcasts or films, or other forms of consultant compensation for community members.
- Media production: Recording or editing services for podcasts, films, or other audio or video productions.
- Public events: Venue or equipment rentals, ASL interpretation, live-streaming, photography, or other costs associated with organizing events.
- Supplies and materials: Supplies and materials necessary for performances, installations, or projects.
- Printing: Posters, fliers, postcards, brochures, booklets, zines, or other costs associated with printed materials.
- Please note: if you are printing materials, you must use ASU Print Lab
- Other professional services: Graphic design, closed captioning, translations, or other professional services.
While the maximum request for any mini-grant is $1,000, we recommend between $250 and $500. That being said, you are welcome and encouraged to submit any request up the maximum. Submit the budget that works best for you.
Prohibited expenses
Amplifier mini-grants *cannot* be used for any of the following purchases:
- No equipment: No cameras, microphones, recorders, tables, chairs, or any other equipment.
- No licenses: No websites, softwares, licenses, or other recurring fees for access to digital platforms or applications.
- No food: No catering, prepared food, beverages, or bottled water
- No transportation: No reimbursement for driving, mileage, parking, gas or other forms of travel.
- No ASU Print Anywhere: No printing at the library through ASU Print Anywhere. You must use ASU Print Lab.
- No payments to classmates or individuals teaching the course: If considering paying anyone with ASU’s network who attends ASU, works for ASU, etc.consult Bri Noonan first at blnoonan@asu.edu.
If you are looking to borrow cameras, microphones, or other recording equipment, you can contact the ASU Makerspace in Hayden Library or Learning Support Services in the School of International Letters and Cultures. If you are looking to borrow tables, chairs, or other equipment for an event at ASU, we'll obtain the equipment for you. We'll also connect you with other resources and platforms depending on your needs.
Applying
To apply for a Seize the Moment Amplifier mini-grant, all you'll need to do is work with your team to answer a series of short questions about what your outcome is, what you would use funding for, and how it will serve the larger community. In 200 words or less for each response, your team will:
- Identify the problem: Identify a complex problem that intersects with health, environmental, and social issues
- Present your outcome: Describe how you are addressing the problem through an interdisciplinary collaboration that is based in the arts or humanities.
- Justify your funding: Provide a brief narrative that explains what you are requesting funding for and how it will amplify your outcome's impact.
- Provide a plan: Identify the concrete tasks you'll need to accomplish to make your project a success.
Generally speaking, you and your team should plan on spending between two and six hours to complete the application.
Additional materials
Besides answering the questions, you'll also need to provide:
- An itemized budget detailing your expenses
- Supporting documentation (such as links or quotes) for all expenses except honoraria
- Contact information for any speakers or other service providers (just names and email address)
- Additional information for events including dates, times, venues, and set-up
- Brief biographies for each member of your team
More information about creating a budget is provided in the next tab.
Budgets
To prepare your budget, use our budget template to provide an itemized list of all expenses in a spreadsheet.
If you are purchasing supplies, printing materials, or obtaining any kind of professional service, you must include some form of documentation (typically a link to a webpage or a quote). For consultants make sure to fill out the Consultant Request Form. Don't forget to include tax and shipping, and make sure you haven't included any prohibited expenses.
Please note: you cannot make any changes to your budget once you submit. All budgets should be finalized before you submit.
Budget reviews
We will be reviewing budgets for all applications. If your team is awarded funding we will meet with you for a brief meeting to confirm your budget for upload via Canvas.
To request additional assistance once your budget has been uploaded please contact Seize the Moment Initiative Coordinator Bri Noonan at blnoonan@asu.edu.
Submitting
Applications are accepted online through Question Pro, a cloud-based form and survey platform. While you should be able to save your progress in the form, we recommend that you prepare your application in a separate document to save a back-up and collaborate with your team. Then, you can copy and paste your responses into the form once you're ready to submit.
Please note: while you and your team will work together to complete the application, one student will need to submit the application on behalf of their team.
Word documents, fillable .pdfs, or printed forms are available upon request. Applications will not be accepted through other digital or physical channels barring accessibility.
Spring 2023 applications close March 5th.
Applications for mini-grants are about halfway through the semester:
- Fall: Oct 3
- Spring: Deadline has been extended to March 5th
Applicants will receive a confirmation email once the application period has closed. No late applications will be accepted. If you have extenuating circumstances or need to request an extension, please contact Public Engagement Coordinator Bri Noonan at blnoonan@asu.edu.
Judged by committee
Applications will be evaluated by committee on the basis of their fit within the grant guidelines, the strength of their response to each question, and their representation in regard to the larger scholarly and creative field. Applicants will be notified of the committee's decision via email two weeks after the application period has closed. Please check your inbox accordingly.
Receiving the mini-grant
Student teams whose projects are selected to receive the mini-grant will work directly with the Humanities Lab to purchase materials and process transactions. Funding should be spent by the end of the semester. Once the semester is over, students may also be asked to complete a written narrative or participate in an interview reflecting on their experience (parts of which may be used for marketing, promotional, and development purposes).
A final note
In offering these mini-grants, our goal is to create an equitable, accessible process that extends the educational experience of the Labs, giving each student an idea of what it would be like to apply for larger, more competitive grants. While we wish that we were able to support all of the outcomes, there are many students who are applying, our funding is limited, and we will not be able to accept all of the applications.
As such, it is extremely important that funding should not make or break your project, and that you do not design your project around the funding request. Instead, we encourage you to think of it as a boost or supplement, something that can be added on or quickly implemented during the final stages to enhance impact, outcome, and reach.
Finally, we want to make it clear that Amplifier mini-grants are completely optional. As a student, we know you have other commitments and responsibilities that might keep you from taking on this extra work. That's okay! We want this to be an empowering, uplifting experience—something you can get excited about, that allows you to dream a little bit bigger, that opens up possibility—and the last thing we want to do is create any additional tension, pressure, or stress. Rest assured: your grade is in no ways affected by whether or not you apply for funding, let alone receive it.
If you have any questions about Amplifier mini-grants or would like to discuss things further, please feel free to check in with your faculty members or reach out to Seize the Moment Initiative Coordinator Bri Noonan at 480.965.4262 or blnoonan@asu.edu
Read the FAQ
How do I table at the Memorial Union?
To table at the Memorial Union, you'll need to know the date, time, and specific location you'd like to table, which you'll submit as part of your application. Please note: as a student, you are unable to submit the necessary forms to table at the Memorial Union. Assuming you and your team are selected to receive a mini-grant, the Humanities Lab and Seize the Moment will complete the form on your behalf.
To identify a location, you can review the MU Outdoor Space Map or the Student Pavilion Outdoor Space Map. You can also preview the MU Outdoor Event Form.
How do you evaluate applications?
Once all the applications are received, we assemble a committee that evaluates each application on an individual basis using the following criteria, each of which is assigned a point value between 0 and 3:
- Intersecting problem: The proposal clearly and persuasively identifies a complex problem with social, environmental, and health aspects.
- Transdisciplinary approach: The proposal provides a creative, powerful, and thoughtful solution that is firmly grounded in the arts and humanities while engaging with another discipline or field in a deeply meaningful, integrated, and harmonious way.
- Amplification: The funding will allow the outcome to reach and engage with new or underserved audiences while creating an evergreen product or production that extends the lifespan of the project or activity to create more sustainable, longer-term impacts in the community.
Once all of the scores have been collected, the committee meets to select applications from the larger pool. While the committee uses the scores as a guide for conversation, it also looks at representation and diversity across the Labs, and prioritizes outcomes that serve or center marginalized communities. For more information about how we evaluate applications, you can read the mini-grant guidelines.
How long does it take to apply?
While the amount of time it takes to apply will vary depending on your team, you and your team can expect to spend between two and six hours preparing your application. Additionally, we would recommend that you start the application at least two weeks before the deadline—allowing one week to prepare a first draft, another week to revise, and then a final day to submit.
How many mini-grants do you award?
While it varies depending on the amount of funding requested and the total number of applications we receive, we expect to award between six and eight mini-grants each semester.
How much funding can I request?
You can request any amount up to the maximum ($1,000). Generally speaking, we recommend between $250 and $750, as it's somewhat easier for us to award smaller grants than large ones. That being said, it depends on your outcome. Submit the budget that works best for you.
How much funding is available?
While it varies, we typically have a $3,000 funding pool to distribute among all Humanities Labs each semester, with a maximum request of $1,000 for each application.
How much funding should I request?
It depends on your outcome. Our maximum request is $1,000. Generally speaking, we recommend between $250 and $750, as it's somewhat easier for us to award smaller grants than large ones. That being said, you can request any amount up to the maximum. Submit the budget that works best for you.
Is the process competitive?
Yes. While it depends on how much our funding pool is and how many applications we receive, each application typically has a 33% to 50% chance of being selected. That being said, our goal is to fund as many projects as we can, with at least one outcome from each Lab. As our funding pool is limited, requesting the full amount ($1,000) may slightly decrease your chances, too.
What can I request funding for?
You can request funding for a variety of different expenses to support your project, including honoraria for speakers, professional services, printed materials, and more. For a list of allowable expenses, read the mini-grant guidelines. You can also request a review of your budget by our team.
What is a humanities-based approach?
Drawing from disciplines like language, literature, culture, philosophy, history, religious studies, and more, a humanities-based approach uses the humanities to engage with a community around a social issue. While your approach will depend your outcome, some examples of humanities-based outcomes could include reading and discussing a work of literature with a small group, hosting a panel of scholars and speakers, or creating a social media campaign. If you have any questions about whether your outcome uses a humanities-based approach, reach out to your instructor or a staff member accordingly.
What is an arts-based approach?
An arts-based approach uses the arts to engage with a community around a social issue, such as writing poems or engaging in a creative writing exercise, staging a small play or dramatic performance, painting a mural, and more. Please note: while designing posters, fliers, or other marketing materials involve aspects of graphic design, they are not art. If you have any questions about whether your outcome uses an arts-based approach, reach out to your instructor or a staff member accordingly.
What kinds of outcomes are you looking for?
It depends. As part of Seize the Moment, we're interested in outcomes that address intersecting health, social, and environmental issues through a transdisciplinary approach based in the arts and humanities. For these mini-grants, we're looking for outcomes with a wide public impact that engage the larger community. Additionally, we really like it when outcomes produce documents, media, or other deliverables and assets that extend the value of the project beyond the course. In the past, some of our favorite outcomes have been podcasts, videos, public events, and art performances. For more information, read the mini-grant guidelines.