ACE Student Scholars Grants
What are ACE Student Scholars Grants?
ACE Student Scholars Grants are offered through the Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL) as part of the DU Grand Challenges initiative.
ACE Student Scholars Grants support community-engaged research or creative work projects that are faculty-mentored. DU students are invited to submit proposals for projects that are designed to:
- Improve daily living in our communities: For example, meeting basic needs and tackling issues like food and housing insecurity, crime and safety, migration, and urban sustainability.
- Increase economic opportunity in our communities: For example, expanding education access, improving transportation options, fulfilling employment rights, advancing entrepreneurship and emerging employee-owned business models, and decreasing poverty.
- Improving deliberation and action for the public good in our communities: For example, inspiring civic engagement, amplifying youth voices, preparing new leaders, and strengthening our connections to one another.
Community-engaged research and creative work projects are co-developed with community partners. Collaboration between students and partners should be mutually beneficial and reciprocal.
For example, a project might answer a research question that is important to the student researcher while also meeting a need that is important to the community. Potential partners include nonprofits, grassroots organizations, government agencies or entrepreneurs and businesses.
For detailed application instructions, please review the Request for Proposals (RFP) to help you prepare your application.
Read RFP
Grant Benefits
Student Compensation & Covered Project Costs
Applicants can request up to $3,000 for a single student or up to $6,000 for two or more students working together on community-engaged research or creative works that are faculty-mentored. Funds can be used for student compensation, project costs and/or project-related travel expenses. Additionally, each mentor (e.g., faculty/staff) may be eligible to receive a $200 stipend per undergraduate student (or $500 for a group of undergraduate students). See the Request for Proposal (RFP) for full details on eligible expenses and student compensation.
Mentorship
Recipients become DU Grand Challenges (DUGC) Student Scholars and work with either a Community-Engaged Fellow, CCESL staff member, or faculty mentor on their community-engaged research or creative work project. Faculty mentors may be eligible to receive a $200 stipend (or $500 for a group of undergraduate students).
Access to Resources
As DUGC Student Scholars, recipients are part of a collaborative network and can access support and resources such as CCESL’s in-person and asynchronous trainings, CCESL courses, and networking opportunities.
Project Portfolio
Recipients document their learning and project outcomes in a public-facing, ePortfolio website that students can use to share their work with their professional networks.
ACE Student Scholars Grants are a 4D signature experience that enables you to deepen and apply your thinking, reflect on your interests and goals, and gain new perspectives on education and life. Through this community-engaged experience, you will grow across the four dimensions, supporting your intellectual growth, character exploration, well-being, and sense of purpose.
Eligibility
All undergraduate students currently in good standing are eligible to apply. Proposals from graduate students are accepted as funds are available. Graduate students are encouraged to contact CCESL before applying to see if funds are available.
How to Apply
Students should submit their proposals via the Qualtrics form linked in the Request for Proposals (RFP). In addition to the Qualtrics form, students must have faculty mentor and community partner letters sent directly to CCESL@du.edu from the letter’s author with Your Last Name/ DUGC ACE Letter in the subject line. For detailed application instructions, please review the RFP to help you prepare your application.
Evaluation
The ACE Student Scholars Grants Rubric outlines the criteria that will be used to evaluate your proposal.
Application Deadlines
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until all funds have been awarded or by the following deadlines, whichever comes first:
- Academic Year 2023-2024 projects: April 25th, 2024
- Summer 2024 projects: May 31st, 2024
Project Timelines
Final ePortfolio websites are due within 30 days of the project’s completion or by June 1, 2024 (for AY projects) or August 31, 2024 (for summer projects) whichever is sooner. Students may determine their own timeline for their project within this timeframe.
Highlighted Projects

DU Writers in the Schools
DU students Lydia McCann, Hayley Sayre, and Mario Melo received an ACE grant to revive The Writers in the Schools Program alongside Dr. Kelly Krumrie. The DU Writers in the Schools Program seeks to cultivate a creative, intuitive, and dynamic learning experience for all students through the implementation of poetry, prose, and imagination throughout Denver schools. The grant allowed them to engage with hands-on, community learning and career development.
Learn More About the Project
The Right Foot Project
DU students Soffy Anderson, Lauren Butler, Sergio Sandoval, and Cade Palmer received an ACE grant to launch the Right Foot Project, a yearlong community change initiative aimed to help alleviate food insecurity in youth populations. The Project is based out of the Leadership Program at the University of Denver. They created strong, local partnerships with Thomas Jefferson High School and The Conscious Alliance.
Learn More About the Project
Pollution Solution
DU students Annabelle Kiely, Loklin Nord, Brady Rogers, Madelyn Kavalieros, Jacob Hughes, and Kabe Aberle received an ACE grant to launch the Pollution Solution project, which aimed to address the issue of climate change by providing young students with access to the outdoors and environmental education. They worked with two Denver Public Schools to implement classroom-based learning sessions consisting of fun activities as well as informational segments.
Learn More About the Project