Funding Tracks Criteria and Eligibility
Social Impact Track
For the Social Impact Track, selected students will be enrolled in the Widening Circles: Global Social Impact Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all requirements of that program. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support the travel costs associated with their social impact internship, volunteer opportunity, or a globally-focused research project that engages with one or more local communities. You can identify your own project or find support through our program partner, Omprakash, which has connections to hundreds of community organizations around the world. See the Funding Section of the Overview tab for the types of costs that the grant can be used for.
Eligibility
- Current UC Davis graduate or professional students.
- In good academic standing.
- International students are eligible.
- Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.
Application Essay Questions
- What is the title of the research, volunteer, internship or community-engaged project you will be working on this summer?
- Please share details about the research, volunteer, internship, or community-engaged project that you will be undertaking: where will it take place; what will you be doing; how is it globally-focused; how do you plan to use the $2000 to support your activity; and how does this experience relate to your graduate studies?
- Please use 2-3 sentences to briefly describe your first-choice or proposed social impact opportunity referenced in the title of your project. Then, please share how your chosen activity relates to your graduate studies as well as to your personal, professional, and academic goals. (Max 400 words)
- How will the Widening Circles: Global Social Impact Program curriculum enrich your graduate studies? How do you anticipate applying what you learn in the program to your graduate studies? Find program information here. (Max 300 words)
- Describe how your preferred social impact opportunity connects to global issues, challenges, communities, or perspectives. In what ways will this experience deepen your understanding of global or intercultural engagement? How do you hope to contribute to the project or community in an ethical, equitable, and sustainable way through your participation? (Max 400 words)
Additional weight will be added for:
- Students with demonstrated financial need.
- Students with limited previous opportunities for travel.
- Students engaging with experiences that are based in Latin America or Africa, to meet strategic priorities of Global Affairs.
- Students engaging directly with communities, institutions, and/or organizations outside the U.S., a condition of the funding donor.
Additional Requirements
Social Impact Track recipients must:
- Complete all requirements of the Widening Circles: Global Social Impact Program.
- Participate in the Widening Circles virtual symposium at the end of summer 2027.
- Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.
What do we mean by "social impact"? Generally speaking, the Widening Circles: Global Social Impact Program is designed to help students get involved with issues pertaining to human and environmental well-being. This typically involves opportunities in fields like public health, education, sustainability, human rights and economic development—but we intentionally take a wide-angle view of what "social impact" really means, and we believe that it is possible to bring a social impact perspective to any kind of volunteer, internship or globally-focused research experience. This includes internships with nonprofits as well as opportunities in the private sector and public sector. For social impact research or community-engaged projects, we do want applicants to demonstrate how their proposed activity engages or impacts one or more local communities. Whatever your academic and professional interests may be, this program will help you reflect on how these interests intersect with broader questions about inequality, social change and your own impact on others.
Many graduate and professional students identify their own social impact opportunities independently, however you are also able to use the Omprakash network to find and apply to an opportunity. By registering on the Omprakash platform, you will be able to access this network. Visit the Widening Circles: Global Social Impact Program webpage to express interest in the program and receive instructions on registering.
Research Track
For the Research Track, selected students will be enrolled in the Global Leadership Certificate Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all aspects of the certificate program by the specified deadline. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support research activity in the summer. See the Funding section of the Overview tab for the types of costs that the grant can be used for.
Eligibility
- Current UC Davis graduate or professional students.
- In good academic standing.
- International students are eligible.
- Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.
Application Essay Questions
- What is the title of the research project you’ll be working on this summer?
- Please share details about the research project or opportunity that you will be undertaking: where will it take place; what will you be doing; how is it globally-focused; how do you plan to use the $2000 to support your activity; and how does this experience relate to your graduate studies?
- Please use 2-3 sentences to briefly describe the research project or opportunity that you will be undertaking and referenced in the title of your project. Then, please share how your chosen activity relates to your graduate studies as well as your overall personal, professional, and academic goals. (Max 400 words)
- How will the Global Leadership Certificate modules enrich your graduate studies? How do you anticipate applying what you learn in the modules to your graduate studies? Find program information here. (Max 300 words)
- Describe how your research project or opportunity connects to global issues, challenges, communities, or perspectives. In what ways will this experience deepen your understanding of global or intercultural engagement? How do you hope to contribute to the project or community in an ethical, equitable, and sustainable way through your participation? (Max 400 words)
Additional weight will be added for:
- Students with demonstrated financial need.
- Students with limited previous opportunities for travel.
- Students engaging with experiences that are based in Latin America or Africa, to meet strategic priorities of Global Affairs.
- Students engaging directly with communities, institutions, and/or organizations outside the U.S., a condition of the funding donor.
Additional Requirements
Research Track recipients must:
- Complete the Global Leadership Certificate modules by June 27, 2027.
- Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.
Note: Students are eligible to receive an award in each track once, for a total of two Global Grad Grant awards during their studies at UC Davis. Students are not eligible to receive an award in the same track more than once.