Grant opportunities

Seed Grant Awards – $1,000-$10,000 each 

Application Deadline – Mar 31, 2026, 11:59 PM CST 

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About The Engaged City

This is a cultural asset mapping project. In an attempt to bridge divides instead of highlight or enforce them, this project will create publicly accessible co-created cultural maps of St. Louis that spatialize the individual and collective cultural knowledge bearers, organizations, and community members in STL.  

What is Cultural Asset Mapping?

Cultural asset mapping is a process where communities identify and document the cultural resources, strengths, and activities that are already present. Think of it like creating a map, but instead of streets and landmarks, you're mapping out all the things that make a community unique in terms of culture. This can include: 

• Places: museums, theaters, parks, or historical landmarks. 

• People: Artists, musicians, poets or storytellers who contribute to the community’s cultural identity. 

• Practices: Traditions, festivals, languages, or events that are important to the community. 

• Organizations: Nonprofits, cultural centers, or community groups that support the arts or cultural education. 

Once these assets are identified, the community can see where there’s already strength, what might be missing, and how they can work together to celebrate or grow their cultural life.  

About Seed Grants

The Seed Grant program is a key part of expanding the scope and contributions for the Engaged City cultural asset map. Seed grant projects will promote community priorities and provide important insights to the project efforts. The creative work developed by the Seed grantees will support the development of the cultural asset map.  

We welcome applications for a variety of projects, and strongly encourage work that:   

• Recognizes unique cultural assets that deserve greater recognition (don’t tell us about the Arch).

• Identifies historical assets that may or may not continue to exist (physically, culturally) but remain an important part of St. Louis cultural legacies (ex. neighborhoods that don’t exist anymore).

• Develops creative approaches to documentation that can be publicly disseminated (artistic, speculative, data visualization, souvenirs and artifacts, storytelling).

• Engages with a wider public in content and form.

• Could not happen without the funding support of this grant.

Funding amount: We will offer multiple grants of up to $10,000 each over two application cycles (the 1st application cycle opens in March 2026). Project budgets may range from $1,000-$10,000. The selection committee has the discretion to award partial funding. 

*These are project-based grants. Applicants can be organizations and/or individuals. Project proposals must support a specific St. Louis region. Funds cannot support general operating expenses or overhead and administrative costs unrelated to the project.*     

Eligibility: Open to anyone 18+ at any career stage residing in the greater St. Louis region. 

To apply, complete the form here by March 31, 2026. Successful applicants will identify a cultural asset(s) in St. Louis and propose a clear and feasible plan that contributes to the Engaged City’s cultural asset mapping goals. Preference will be given to new projects designed with this opportunity in mind, and to those projects that have not received funding from The Divided City.  

Application Requirements

• Applicant and co-applicant(s) name(s), organization(s), contact information, and WashU affiliation, if applicable.

• Project title 

• Who are you? Tell us about yourself and your team, if applicable. 

  If applying as an individual, please elaborate on your practice in under 200 words. If you have experience in projects like this, describe some of your skills and background.  Consider sharing details about how you have presented, exhibited, performed, published, or created works. To further expand upon your experience, you can upload a resume or CV at the end as supplemental material.  

• Where is/are your cultural asset(s) located? 

  Please share generally if describing an area, or multiple locations. 

• What “cultural asset(s)” are you identifying? A neighborhood, place, person, event, or community practice? (150 words or less).  

• What story, idea, or question is at the center of your project proposal? (150 words or less).  

• What project are you proposing? Please describe your idea and how you plan to use the seed grant funds to move it forward. (300 words or less). 

• How will you document and share this knowledge? (150 words or less).  

• Please provide a brief statement that explains the project’s relevance to the Engaged City Initiative. (150 words or less). 

• Outcomes — Please outline the top three specific outcomes for the project. Please be sure to describe the project’s specific outcomes and what criteria will be used to evaluate its success. In other words, what do you expect to happen as a result of this project? (300 words or less) .

• Timeline — Please provide a detailed timeline for the implementation of your project. (200 words or less).  

• Team Experience — What makes you and your collaborator(s) the right people to conduct this project? Describe your creative, research, and/or community-based process. (150 words or less). 

• Budget

  Please share the dollar amount you are requesting ($1,000-$10,000). Applicants can make one project request not to exceed $10,000.  

  Itemized Budget — Provide a detailed and itemized budget. Be as specific as possible on the expenses you expect to incur in conjunction with your proposed project. All expenses should be reasonable, realistic and must be directly related to the activities that will be conducted as part of the project. Some examples of budget categories can be Supplies/Materials, Honoraria, Travel, etc.   

  Budget Narrative — Provide a narrative description of the budget. A budget narrative explains and justifies the estimated costs from the project budget, providing clarification on why and how each expense connects to the project’s goals and deliverables. (300 words or less).  

• Supplemental Material(s)

  Letter of Support — At least one (1) letter of support, letter of recommendation, and/or letter of collaboration is required. 

  If applicable, please include any additional materials, such as a CV or Resume, and/or provide a URL to a website, social media account, or other digital presence that demonstrates your past work.  

Submission Procedure – Submit the full proposal via the application portal here. Please address any application questions to theengagedcity@wustl.edu. 

Curricular Design Grant Award – $5,000-$10,000  

Grant Period – To be taught in Spring 2027 or Fall 2027 

Priority Deadline – Apr 15, 2026, 11:59 PM CST 

View this opportunity as a .pdf

Apply Here

The Engaged City invites proposals for the development of a new course or significant modifications to an existing course to support the goals of the Engaged City project. The course will contribute directly to the Engaged City project’s mapping efforts. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches and anticipate active collaboration with the advisory board of community stakeholders and the Engaged City Community Fellows throughout the duration of the proposed course. 

About the Engaged City 

The Engaged City is a joint project led by the Center for the Humanities (College of Arts & Sciences), the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity (CRE2), and the Office for Socially Engaged Practice (Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts) at Washington University in St. Louis. To bridge divides instead of highlight or enforce them, this project will create publicly accessible co-created cultural maps of St. Louis that spatialize the individual and collective cultural knowledge bearers, organizations, and community members in STL. This project emerges from a need articulated by Reverend Charles Norris in our team’s conversations with community leaders: the need to know who is doing what in our city, so that we can join efforts and better serve communities and neighborhoods. The project team will work closely with individuals, organizations and stakeholders to develop the cultural mapping framework through a series of engagements including collaborative mapping sessions, community events, student internships, community fellowships, and seed grants for enhanced partnerships.   

Grants

We will award one (1) grant per semester ($5,000-$10,000) to support cultural mapping efforts within a course to be taught in Spring 2027 or Fall 2027. We are especially interested in supporting dynamic, collaborative learning experiences that cross disciplinary boundaries and engage with the greater St. Louis region. Successful applications will demonstrate significant modifications to an existing course or propose the development of a new course. Course design examples may include, but are not limited to: 

• Proposing St. Louis-focused cultural mapping initiatives. 

• Hosting leading urban humanities scholars to engage with the course. 

• Partnering with The Engaged City community fellows, local organizations, local universities, and stakeholders to create applied learning opportunities. 

• Designing collaborative outcomes beyond the traditional seminar paper, that can contribute to The Engaged City cultural mapping framework, such as exhibits, podcasts, op-eds, revised Wiki entries, or digital databases. 

Eligibility – This grant is open to all full-time or part-time WashU faculty (tenured, tenure-track, research, teaching, lecture, and practice). 

Grant Amount – We will fund one (1) standard curricular design grant per semester ($5,000-$10,000). 

Grant Submission Period – Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applications received by April 15 will be eligible for first review. 

Application Requirements  

• Name(s), department(s), contact information, and current CV(s) for all collaborators.

• Course Summary – No more than 150 words. 

• Course Description – 750-word limit. The course description should include: 

• Information on the existing course, if the proposal is for redesign. 

• A full discussion of the proposed course, including disciplinary and interdisciplinary parameters, learning objectives, content, assignments, and anticipated outcomes. 

• If partner institutions are involved, a specific description of their role in the course. 

• Timeline and Syllabus – A .pdf with a precise timeline, including plans for implementation and for sustainability beyond the timeframe of the project, and an abbreviated syllabus or course outline. 

• Written Response – How does the course align with the goals of The Engaged City? No more than 150 words. 

• List of undergraduate & graduate courses taught in the last three years – include course numbers, course titles, and the semesters in which the course was taught.   

• Community Engagement Plan – describe potential collaborations, anticipated partnerships, and plans to structure and acknowledge partner contributions. Required to use an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with any collaborations. No more than 150 words. 

• Budget – provide a narrative description and detailed itemization of costs associated with the course (300 words or less). The budget may include line items for faculty summer salary inclusive of fringe benefits; instructional and teaching materials such as books, apps, and software; research assistants to find, curate, and create relevant materials; and travel funds to attend relevant meetings or conferences that relate to the course. Be as specific as possible about the expenses you expect to incur. All expenses should be reasonable and directly related to the activities that will be conducted as part of the course. Limited funding may be used for local meals and entertainment. Funds may not be used for alcohol purchases. 

Submission Procedure – Submit the full proposal via the application portal here. Please address any application questions to theengagedcity@wustl.edu. 

Funding Priorities and Criteria –Proposals will be reviewed by a subcommittee of The Engaged City. Priority will be given to courses that are either a new course that emphasizes cultural mapping or a course that demonstrates significant modifications to align with the goals of The Engaged City.  

Reporting – All awardees will be required to submit both an interim and final report that discusses the goals achieved and describes, in as much detail as possible, the content, structure, and objectives of the new course, as well as a timeline for the first offering. We will request a follow-up report (with syllabus) after the course has been offered for the first time.