Michigan Community Impact Grant Program
Learn More and Apply by Friday, October 30, 2026
The Michigan Community Impact Grant Program is a new pilot initiative designed to connect University of Michigan expertise with communities across the state to address locally identified challenges.
Led by the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations, the program will support faculty- and program-led partnerships with Michigan communities on research- and practice-based projects that respond to needs identified by local partners and produce practical, locally relevant outcomes.
The program is part of a broader effort to strengthen U-M’s engagement across Michigan and build durable, mutually beneficial partnerships that bring university research, expertise, tools and student engagement together with the knowledge and priorities of Michigan communities.
Communities across Michigan are eligible to participate, with initial geographic priorities including Houghton and the Upper Peninsula, Mt. Pleasant, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and the Lansing metropolitan area.
Program Goals
Support projects that leverage university expertise to address challenges and opportunities identified by local communities.
Create projects where the community defines the problem and U-M helps craft a practical, locally relevant solution.
Priority Areas
Discussions with local government and community partners have identified several areas where U-M expertise may be particularly valuable. Proposals may address these or other challenges identified by participating communities.
Housing and Land Use
- Housing affordability
- Short-term rentals, including Airbnb-related pressures
- Zoning and local land-use planning
- Related land-use pressures affecting housing and community development, such as renewable energy siting, data centers, and competing infrastructure needs
Municipal Capacity and Technology
- Seasonal staffing shortages
- Broader municipal workforce and staff capacity challenges
- Potential use of AI or technology tools to improve efficiency, service delivery, and administrative capacity
- Projects should be careful to assess whether AI is an appropriate solution in each locality, rather than assuming it fits every challenge.
Water Quality and Infrastructure
- PFAS contamination
- Safe and clean drinking water
- Broader water infrastructure, monitoring, and environmental quality concerns
Other Community-Identified Priorities
- Projects addressing other issues may also be considered when they respond to a demonstrated need or opportunity identified by a Michigan community partner.
What We Are Looking For
- A clearly identified Michigan community or local government partner.
- A problem or opportunity that has been named by the community.
- A proposed U-M contribution, which may include faculty research, existing tools, technical assistance, applied analysis, and student engaged learning projects.
- A partnership model that is mutually beneficial and designed to produce actionable outcomes for the community during the project period.
Key Dates
September 15, 2026
Grant opportunity opens and applications become available through InfoReady
October 30, 2026
Full proposals due
December 2026
Awardees expected to be announced
February 2027
Grant funding begins
FAQs
1. Is the program interested in funding professional development and capacity building for the Michigan Community Impact grant? To what extent should the proposed activities be tied to a specific research project?
The program is intended to support specific faculty- and program-led collaborations that respond to locally identified needs, not professional development activities.
2. Is it possible for a faculty person to be part of a team of people applying, but not be "the applicant,” for more than one grant?
Yes, faculty may collaborate on more than one grant proposal as part of a collaborative team. A faculty member may apply as PI on one grant application and also participate as a collaborator on a second grant application.
3. My research is done in collaboration with researchers at a separate university. Does this grant program allow for the effort of non-UM investigators?
At this time, the grant does not cover effort for non-UM investigators.
4. Can the duration of my proposed grant stretch for 18 months into early 2028?
Yes, projects must last 12 to 24 months to be considered for seed grants. Depending on the project start date, they may stretch into 2028.
5. Am I eligible to apply for the Michigan Community Impact Grant?
All PI-eligible faculty from the Ann Arbor campus are eligible to apply. For more information about primary investigator (PI) eligible see https://orsp.umich.edu/principal-investigator-pi.
6. Can a post-doc serve as PI or co-PI on the grant?
No, a post doc cannot serve as lead or co-PI, but may be a part of a collaborative team on the grant.
7. Cost sharing is not required per the instructions. If we were to include a commitment from our unit, what sort of commitment should be described in the letter? Are you seeking a financial or a physical commitment, i.e. lab space, personnel, etc.?
No, cost sharing is not a requirement for this grant. If you are including other commitments, please be very specific and break down the cost in the budget per unit or other source and what the funds will be used for and the cost- if financial. If physical space, please include a brief statement about the space commitment in the budget justification and in the budget breakdown, if applicable. Please include personnel related funding in the budget and a statement in the budget justification.
8. Can we use grant funds to cover payment to community partners?
Yes, funds can be used to compensate community partners. Like all budget items, requested coverage of community partner effort should be described in the budget justification section.
9. What these grants do not fund.
This program does not provide funding for evaluations of existing academic or clinical programs and prioritizes U-M’s engagement with communities to build durable, community-driven partnerships across Michigan and to translate U-M research, expertise, student talent, and existing tools into practical solutions.
10. Are there limitations on the budget with regard to indirect and direct costs including effort, RAs and a statistician?
Other staff/personnel effort relevant to the project objectives would be allowable.
11. Is tuition support an acceptable budget?
Tuition support is not an eligible budget expense for this grant.
12. Can the funds be used in support of new interventions? Is it allowable to develop and test a new intervention?
Yes, the funds allow development and testing of a new intervention or study.
13. Can the research include both a publication outcome -- a book or a paper -- and a course redesign on narrative connections between literature and medical science?
There should be a larger project that may lead to course design. However, this funding is for the production of new knowledge with the focus outlined in the call. It is not intended to support new pedagogic activities as a priority.
14. When is the earliest the research could start?
Funding decisions and award selection notifications are anticipated for early December.
15. Are references or hyperlinks allowed in the proposal?
No. References, hyperlinks, and external links are not permitted. Applicants should include all information necessary to evaluate the proposal within the required page limits and submitted materials.
16. Who should I contact with questions?
Please contact [email protected].
17. Are projects outside the listed geographic priority areas eligible to apply?
Yes. Communities across Michigan are eligible to participate in the Michigan Community Impact Grant program. The geographic areas listed in the call are preferred priority areas, but proposals involving other Michigan communities are also eligible for consideration.
Questions?
Questions about the Michigan Community Impact Grant Program or application requirements can be directed to [email protected].