Projects for Peace
*******Open to all classes********
About the Projects for Peace Fellowship
Every year, 125 or more student leaders are each awarded $10,000 grants to implement a Project for Peace, typically between May and August.
The program encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues.
Along the way, these student leaders increase their knowledge, improve their skills, and begin to see themselves as agents of change.
A hallmark of the Projects for Peace program is its flexibility: proposals may be submitted by any U.S. or international student enrolled at any one of the 90+ partner institutions; students may be from any class year (the fellowship is open to first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior students) or any major; they may implement the project alone or with others; the project may take place anywhere in the world, including in the U.S.
Please note, the Dean of Studies Office cannot fund travel to or study in any area that is under a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Level 4 or CDC Alert Level 3. The Dean of Studies Office will only fund travel to or study in any area that is under U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Level 3 if granted through a petition process. For more information visit: Travel Advisory Policy
Campus Deadline: January 15 (This includes letters of recommendation)
Application Guidelines
Projects for Peace applications will require a specifically formatted proposal narrative and budget; see below for details:
Proposal Narrative:
- Keep in mind that successful proposals may be made publically available on the Projects for Peace website. Therefore, submitted proposals should not include content considered to be sensitive or private.
- The ideal length of the proposal is two pages; it must not exceed three pages.
- The proposal narrative must follow the guidance provided here:
2024 Proposal Submission Instructions
Proposal Budget:
- Projects for Peace funding is $10,000 per project.
- The proposal budget must show anticipated expenditures of the full $10,000, according to the categories provided. Explanatory notes of particular expenses may be added to the budget form, or included in the proposal narrative.
- All funds are to be reported in US dollars.
- Applicants are free to seek additional funding from other sources to support or sustain their Project for Peace.
- The budget should use the following template: Budget Form Template
- Additional information can be found here: Budget Template Instructions
Application Process
- Use the Recommendation Registration Form to register two people to serve as your referees. One letter of recommendation and one letter of support: A letter from the organization with which you would work describing the activities and opportunities in which you would be able to participate. Please note: this letter may not be appropriate in all cases. Those proposing more independent projects may not have access to such a letter but should provide an alternate letter from someone who can attest to the opportunity and potential for success of the proposed project. You must register your writers before you submit your application and inform them that the letters are due by the campus deadline.
- Review the project guidelines outlined above and then complete the Projects for Peace application by the campus deadline.
Group Projects
One applicant should submit the Projects for Peace application. Collaborators should follow these steps:
- Use the Recommendation Registration Form to register one letter of recommendation.
- Complete the Collaborator Application and submit it by the campus deadline.
For Applicants
You must submit your application through the online system as indicated above. Please note that you cannot save information in the application and return to it at a later date. You should save your work in a separate document and enter it all at once when you are ready to submit.
For Letter of Recommendation Writers
Candidates should register their references through the Letter of Recommendation Registration Form as outlined above. Once registered, writers will receive a link to the Letter of Recommendation Submission Form. If you haven’t received an email please follow up with the applicant to ensure that you have been registered to write on the student’s behalf. You may access this form at any time through this site, however, you cannot save information and return to the form at a later date.
Previous Vassar Projects for Peace Recipients
View more about the 16+ Vassar recipients’ Projects for Peace
Student Photographers Support Domestic Violence Victims feat. Emma Redden ’15 and Jeffrey From ’15