Request for Proposals: Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative

The Appalachian Regional Commission (“ARC”) is seeking proposals from colleges and universities (“Institutions”) in and near the Appalachian Region to participate in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative

Donor Name: Appalachian Regional Commission

State: Alabama

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 03/31/2023

Size of the Grant: $8,000

Details:

Administered by East Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, the ACRI engages students from up to 16 colleges and universities in place-based learning experiences in which they practice community economic development firsthand. Following completion of their community-based research project, the ACRI provides a forum in which students share their work with their peers, with ARC administration and staff, and with invited guests, including community partners and university administrators.

Through this model, the ACRI directly invests in one of Appalachia’s most precious resources: its future leaders. By promoting student engagement with Appalachian communities, fostering leadership development, and bringing students, faculty, and leaders together to share their ideas, this project directly supports ARC’s mission to “Innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.

Project Goals

The ACRI is designed to accomplish the following goals in support of the ARC mission and strategic plan.
To promote student research projects that focus on Appalachian communities, preferably in one or more of the ARC-designated Distressed or At-Risk counties. These projects must involve direct, active participation and engagement with the community. For continuity of projects and relationships, some institutions will work with the same community for more than one year. Occasionally, some communities may be selected because they constitute distressed populations within counties that are not formally labeled as distressed or at-risk.
To provide opportunities for students, most of whom are Appalachian natives and/or residents, to experience various parts of the Region and the work of the ARC.
To provide opportunities for students to develop leadership, civic capacity, and communication skills.
To increase student and community awareness of the mission and work of the ARC and the goals of its strategic plan.
To promote projects that address one or more of the goals of ARC strategic plan. ARC also sets forth specific objectives that support each of the goals, which may be found in the ARC Strategic Plan. While all ACRI proposals will support Goal 5, ARC encourages projects that also specifically address Goals 1- 4, including the following issues: substance use disorder recovery, business development and entrepreneurship, broadband and technology, and workforce development.
- Goal 1: Building Appalachian Businesses: Strengthen and diversify the Region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development.
- Goal 2: Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem: Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
- Goal 3: Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure: Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable and affordable utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the Region.
- Goal 4: Building Regional Culture and Tourism: Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the Region’s local, cultural heritage, and natural assets.
- Goal 5: Building Community Leaders and Capacity: Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.
To provide opportunities for students to share their work, develop leadership skills, and build professional networks through a presentation to civic groups, elected officials, and/or at a regional or national conference. Project Outcomes Projects are expected to have a demonstrable impact on community economic development and sustainability, and capacity building through development of student leadership and active partnerships. Therefore, each project should address the question, “What changes do you expect to occur in the community as a result of this project?” Final reports from each institution should document evidence of the project’s impact, through quantitative and/or qualitative data. Such evidence might include, for example:
- Development or growth of active partnerships between communities and institutions of higher education in the region.
- Feedback from community partners, community leaders, or other community members.
- Feedback from student participants.
- Development of plans, priorities, or recommendations that the community may utilize in promoting sustainable development.
- Community projects, initiatives, events, or other actions and deliverables that are the direct or indirect results of the students’ work, or those that are significantly impacted by the students’ work.