RAISE Mini Grants – Community

RAISE Mini Grants – Community is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF) via University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). The Alaska AI Solutions Consortium (AISC), as part of UAA's Rural AI Solutions & Engagement Project funded by NSF, is soliciting project proposals from community partners in which artificial intelligence is used to help address a problem in Alaska.

Community Engagement Mini-Grants | Office of Academic Affairs | University of Alaska Anchorage Community Engaged Learning Close Mobile Menu Community Engagement Mini-Grants Funding is available for faculty and staff for community-engaged activities that further develop partnerships involving students, faculty, and community members as participants in addressing public issues.

Please note: The mini-grant funding mechanisms will be active for Fall 2026, but suspended beginning Spring 2027 until further notice. Funding for mini-grants is limited, and awards are very competitive. We strive to invest our limited resources in projects that demonstrate strong potential for meaningful community impact, reciprocal partnerships, and student learning.

CCEL provides mini-grant funding for faculty and staff in two areas: Research or Projects: to conduct community engaged research or plan and carry out Curriculum: to create or redesign curriculum incorporating community engagement and Awards are open to faculty and staff in all UAA schools and colleges and at all community campuses. Proposals should involve UAA students whenever possible.

Mini-grants are available for partnered projects that involve the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. See our Mini-Grants Informational Guide for more details. Mini-Grants Informational Guide Faculty and staff from all departments, colleges, and campuses can apply for up to $1000 in funding for their project.

Junior faculty, faculty teaching GER courses, and faculty in underrepresented disciplines are especially encouraged to apply. Applications open before each Fall and Spring semester on InfoReady . Be the first to hear when these applications open by subscribing to the CCEL newsletter and Google Calendar .

Check out the Mini-Grants ePortfolio to see past projects funded by this program.

Anne Ouwerkerk, Early Childhood Education Growing Together: Early Childhood and Teacher Preparation Rooted in Indigenous Knowledge Community partner: Yupiit School District Well-Being Through Our Eyes: Images from the Congolese Wellness Circle Community partners: Congolese Refugee Women's Wellness Circle, Alaska State Refugee Jennifer Bernard, General Business The Mission Meet-Up: A Nonprofit Community Partner Roundtable Community partner: Credit Union 1 Eduardo Piqueiras, Population Health Sciences Coloring Anchorage: Urban Health, Mental Well-Being, and the Built Environment Community partners: Anchorage Museum, Anchorage Planning Department Redesigning Biology Curriculum through Community-Engaged Marine Mammal Research Community partners: Alaska Wildlife Alliance, NOAA Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, City of Homer Port & Harbor Orca Jimmy Peniston, Biology A Community Science Approach to Investigating Beluga Whale Behavior in the Kenai River Community partners: NOAA, Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program Alaskan Authors and the Pathway to Publication Community partners: Alaskan Authors, Consortium Library Mapping Your Happy Place: A Community Art Exhibition with Homeschool Students Community partners: Kenai Peninsula Homeschool Community, Kenai Peninsula College Julie Wrigley, April Alvarez, Cassie Benedict-Monnens, and Rylee Doan, College of Business and Public Policy Connection Café: Building Community and Belonging Through Shared Space Community partners: The Bridge, CBPP Advisory Board, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Using Drone Technology to Study Human–Wildlife Interactions in Coastal Alaska Community partners: Homer Soil & Water Conservation District, Homer Port & Harbor, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries From Tension to Repair: Navigating Conflict in Research Teams Community partner: NYU Center on Violence and Recovery Yong Cao, Management, Marketing, Logistics, and Business Analytics Community partner: Alaska Chinese Association Katie O'Loughlin, Theatre and Dance Community Collaboration in Dance: Emerging Voices (Year Two) Community partner: Alaska Dance Theatre, East High School, West High School 2026 Alaska Young Philosopher Awards Community partner: Anchorage School District Pradeeban Kathiravelu, Computer Science & Engineering VolunteerAnchorage.

org: Strengthening Civic Engagement Through a Community Volunteer Community partner: Anchorage Young Cancer Coalition Addressing Housing Challenges in Anchorage Through Community-Engaged Research and Community partners: Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Anchorage Municipality Planning Mychal Machado, Psychology Addressing the Gap: Understanding the Impact of School Resource Officers (SROs) in Community partner: Anchorage Police Department Christopher Jung, Biological Sciences, and Gwen Lupfer, Psychology Community partner: Anchorage School District AN CARE Connect: Enhancing Dementia Support for Alaska Native Caregivers Community partner: Native Village of Unalakleet Katie O’Loughlin, Theatre and Dance Community Collaboration in Dance: Student Choreography Showcase with Alaska Dance Theatre, East High, West High, and UAA Dance Community partners: Alaska Dance Theatre, West High School, and East High School Community English Speaking Group: Development, Start-up, and Delivery Community partner: Alaska Literacy Program Lisa Schwarzburg, Div.

of Population Health Sciences Completion of MOUD for Perinatal Patient Clinic Survey and Analysis Community partner: Alaska Department of Health Division of Behavioral Health Susan Meskis, School of Nursing The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Tokens Community partner: City of Hope Supervisor, Division of Nursing Research & Education Wei Hsiao, Early Learning and Teaching Engaging Students and Community in the Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) Conference: Collaborative Leadership in Early Childhood Education Community partner: Anchorage AEYC Gabriel Garcia, Div.

of Population Health Sciences; E. J. R.

David, Psychology; and Joy Chavez Mapaye, Journalism and Public Communications Isang Bagsak: Strengthening Ethnic Identity of Filipino American Youth in Alaska and Building Solidarity and Consciousness About the Filipino American Experience Community partner: Filipino American National Historical Society-Alaska Heidi Biskeborn, Learning Center Director Kenai Peninsula Food Bank Partnership Community partners: Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, Kenai Peninsula Job Center Zachary Redman, Chemistry Laboratory Validation of Gluten Reduction Techniques in Locally Brewed Craft Beers Community partner: Turnagain Brewing Company Laura Stoddard, Dental Hygiene Lifelong Smiles Initiative Community partner: Healthy Smiles Forever Spencer Heston, Millwright Strengthening Local Workforce Development through Community-Engaged Curriculum Enhancement Community partner: Local small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)/Certified National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) Kristin Riall, Psychology Using Video Modeling to Improve Swimming in Athletes with Intellectual Disability Community partner: Special Olympics USA We Are Who We Are: An Arts and Literary Program for Incarcerated Youth at McLaughlin Community partner: McLaughlin Youth Center Community Partner: Anchorage Opera Good for business, good for the community: Exploring the range of sexual violence prevention efforts in nightlife settings Pradeeban Kathiravelu, Computer Science and Engineering A data federation approach to analyze behavioral health and supplement healthcare practice with community health metrics in Alaska Community Partner: CHOICES, Inc. Alaska Young Philosopher Awards Community Partner: South Anchorage High School, Romig Middle School Alaska Native focused dementia care Community Partner: Alaska Native dementia caregivers Michelle Mishaan, Fine Art Connecting Communities through Fine Arts and Ceramics Community Partner: Palmer Middle School, Palmer High School Jessica Ross, Human Services Nughejagh - "To become healed" Community Partner: Native Village of Eklutna David Moxley, Social Work and Human Services Advancing Personalized Health Care through Photovoice Methodology and the Arts Community Partner: CHOICES Chris Jung, Biological Sciences Community Partner: Alaska High Schools Amanda Walch & Emily Faerber, Dietetics & Nutrition Development of a Best Practice Intervention Design to Address the Mental Health and Nutrition- Related Needs of Student-Athletes at UAA Community Partner: UAA Athletics Heidi Biskborn Graves, Learning Center KPC - Kenai Peninsula Food Bank Partnership Community Partner: Kenai Peninsula Food Bank Katie O-Loughlin, Theater and Dance UAA Dance - Pulse Dance Partnership Community Partner: Pulse Dance Company Kristin Riall, Psychology Increasing Representation of Alaska Native People in Teaching Materials Community Partner: Cook Inlet Native Head Start Vanessa Hiratsuka, Center for Human Development Alaska Disability Self-Advocate Meaning, Inclusion and Training Development Community Partner: Peer Power Alaska Christopher Jung and Rachael Hannah, Biological Sciences; Gwen Lupfer, Psychology Community Partner: Alaska High Schools Libby Eufemio, Alaska Native Studies Program & Alutiiq Studies Program Edible Landscaping & Student Food Gardens at Kodiak College Community Partner: Rooted Building a Partnership for English Language Teaching Community Partner: Alaska Literacy Program Ingrid Johnson, Justice Center, and Rei Shimizu, School of Social Work Voice!

Acknowledgement! Power! Victims’ Rights and Restorative Justice Symposium Community Partner: Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) Dorn Van Dommelen, Anthropology and Geography Denali National Park Navigational Mapping Community Partner: Denali National Park Backcountry Information Center There were no available funds for faculty minigrants this year, unfortunately.

Joy Chavez Mapaye, Journalism and Public Communications Managing Health Misinformation in the Infodemic Era Community Partner: Alaska Public Health Association Hattie Harvey, Psychology Alaska Cultural Standards for Birth to Five Early Learning Settings Community Partner: Cook Inlet Tribal Council Ashley O'Connor, Social Work Evaluation of the "Responder's Promise" Equine Therapy Program Community Partner: Aurora Equine Therapy Program Community Partner: MOA Parks and Recreation Leslie Redmond, Dietetics & Nutrition Promoting the use of herbs and spices to improve dietary quality and intake among food pantry clients in Alaska Community Partner: Saint Francis House Food Pantry Amanda Walch, Dietetics & Nutrition Phase 2: Promoting the use of herbs and spices to improve dietary quality and intake among food pantry clients in Alaska Community Partner: Saint Francis House Food Pantry Story Works WRTG 111 Collaboration Community Partner: Story Works Alaska Sara Buckingham, Psychology Untapped Talent: Inclusion and Integration in Anchorage, Alaska Community Partner: Mayor's Office Joy Chavez Mapaye, Journalism & Public Communication Brand U: A Strategic Communications Project to Help Local Businesses and Non-Profits Community Partner: Several Anchorage small businesses and non-profit organizations Raising Awareness of Plastic Pollution in the Arctic Community Partner: Aleut Community of St.

Paul Island Ruby Fried, Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies Traditional Food Security on St. Paul Island Community Partner: Aleut Community of St.

Paul Tribal Government Alison Gardell, Biological Sciences, KPC Monitoring Beluga Habitat Use in the Kenai Community Partner: Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership Micah Hahn, Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies Development of a Food Security Index for the Municipality of Anchorage Community Partner: Municipality of Anchorage Rachel Hannah, Biological Sciences Community Partner: Anchorage High School Educators Britteny Howell, Population Health Sciences Barriers and Opportunities to Healthy Aging Using Concept Mapping: Phase II Community Partner: Anchorage Senior Center Asset Mapping to Inform FCC-UAA After-School Program Community Partner: First Congregational Church Anchorage Lauren Lessard, Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies Adolescent Mental Health Pilot Project Community Partner: NAMI, Story Works Lauren Lessard, Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies Adolescent Reproductive Life Planning Community Partner: State of Alaska Division of Public Health Nancy Nix, Population Health Sciences Healthy Food-Related Themes and Resources Across the Curriculum for Early Education Community Partner: Department of Health & Social Services Kathi Trawver & Heidi Brocious, Social Work Office of Children’s Services Mentoring Program Evaluation Project Community Partner: Office of Children's Services Community Partner: Anchorage School District Gabe Garcia, Health Sciences Evaluating the Anchorage School Based Health Centers Community Partner: Anchorage School Based Health Centers Rachael Hannah, Biological Sciences Community Partner: Multiple High School Science Teachers Black Life in the Last Frontier: A History of African Americans in Urban Alaska Community Partner: Cook Inlet Historical Society and National Park Service Hattie Harvey, Early Childhood Education Blend Practices: Supporting Diverse Learners in Pre-K Classrooms Community Partner: Anchorage School District Preschool Program Agatha John-Shields, Indigenous Education Future Indigenous Educators Group Community Partner: First Alaskans Institute Remote, On-Site Testing for Arsenic on the Kenai Peninsula Community Partner: Love INC Mike Mueller, Teaching & Learning Creating Birding Kits for Youth Citizen Science in Alaska's Public Schools Community Partner: Campbell STEM Elementary, National Park Service, Anchorage Museum Terry Nelson, Management & Marketing Tom Case Leadership Program Community Partner: Clark Middle School Marsha Olson, Communication Community Partner: League of Women Voters Stories from Santa Fe to Anchorage International Gallery of Contemporary Art Kathi Trawver, Social Work Evaluation of Mentoring of New OCS Community Partner: Office of Children's Services Library 213 • 907-786-4496 • uaa_facultysuccess@alaska.

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m. Community Engaged Learning