The Rural Futures Institute (RFI) is accepting proposals for 2017 RFI Competitive Awards. Deadlines are March 1 and March 15.
Since 2013 these awards have fostered important discoveries and opportunities for rural people and places thanks to the contributions of 160 University of Nebraska faculty from all four campuses and 200 community, education, government, organization and company partners.
“We continue to be impressed by the quality and ongoing impact of the projects from this program,” said Chuck Schroeder, RFI Executive Director. “Now, we are asking for bold, innovative and transdisciplinary research and teaching ideas to be brought forward for 2017. The knowledge and applications that come from these projects are critical for the future success of rural communities.”
Applicants for the 2017 awards are strongly encouraged to collaborate across disciplines, campuses, fields, organizations and institutions. RFI Competitive Awards Director Kim Peterson can assist in identifying potential partners.
There are two types of awards.
Teaching & Engagement
Submission deadline: March 1, 2017
These awards foster faculty-led community engagement and service learning. Community engagement and service learning pedagogies develop a structure that forms partnerships between faculty and community agencies/programs and encourages college student involvement in providing services to meet the community’s needs.
Research & Engagement
Submission deadline: March 15, 2017
These awards develop research and engagement that addresses critical challenges and opportunities facing rural Nebraska and the Great Plains. The projects are to function as “seed grants” that are designed to lay the foundation for larger requests to funding sources external to the University of Nebraska.
UNK Professor Kate Heelan’s RFI Competitive Award project, “Translating an Evidence-based, Family-based Pediatric Obesity Program for Adoption by Rural Communities,” helped her team provide pediatric obesity treatment programs to rural communities that did not have the resources to help their youth in need.
Rural residents do not have the same resources as micropolitan and metropolitan communities in Nebraska, Heelan said.
“I am living and raising my children in rural Nebraska, and I want the best for our communities to thrive and be successful,” Dr. Heelan said. “Rural communities provide so much, and we all need to work together to maintain their integrity.”
For more information about RFI Competitive Awards, including full details and how to submit, please visit http://ruralfutures.nebraska.edu/awards.
-30-
