At the Kroc School, we encourage students to take advantage of professional opportunities to learn and connect with scholars and practitioners in peace, justice, and social innovation. We recognize that cost can sometimes be a barrier to participation, which is why we offer a limited number of Student Opportunity Grants (SOGs) to support extraordinary learning opportunities. Applications may be submitted on an individual or group basis, and students are encouraged to discuss ideas for a grant with their faculty advisor in advance of submitting an application to the Review Committee. SOGs are limited and competitive.
- SOG Examples
- Academic learning opportunities that could not otherwise be achieved through the student’s Kroc academic program
- Co-curricular activities that enhance the student’s Kroc academic program
- Professional development opportunities that apply directly to the student’s career goals and are in line with their studies
- Presenting a paper at, or attending, an academic conference
- Traveling to work with one of the Kroc School’s institutes on a special field project
- SOGs that are typically not awarded
- Funding for books or equipment
- Seed funding for a business opportunity or social innovation venture
- Funding for internships, internship salaries, or other salaried employment opportunities.
SOG Guidelines
- SOG funding is limited, and the total pool of funds available can vary from year to year. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis and is restricted to students enrolled in the on-campus Kroc School’s graduate programs. The Kroc School student needs to be in good academic standing.
- The maximum award to any one individual will be $1200. Actual amounts are at the discretion of the SOG Review Committee, which is comprised of Kroc School faculty and administrators.
- Students who have already received an SOG will be given the lowest priority for new funding, and only in exceptional circumstances will a second award be made to the same student.
- Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis and is restricted to students enrolled in the Kroc School’s on-campus graduate programs during the time of the proposed SOG activity.
- Except for air travel, funding will be awarded through reimbursement to the student or direct payment to the vendor process at the discretion of the Kroc School administrator. Some restrictions on expenses do apply and will be determined during the budget review process. Flights must be booked through USD and only after approval of a SOG award – see details below.
2023-2024 SOG Application Process
SOG Applications are submitted through this application form and will be reviewed by the SOG Review Committee.
2023-2024 SOG Deadlines
- Spring 2024
- Application Deadline: February 9, 2024
- Applications Reviewed by: February 16, 2024
- SOG Completion Timeframe: May 10, 2024
- The SOG Summary Report is due one week after the completion of the SOG experience.
- Summer 2024
- Application Deadline: May 3, 2024
- Applications Reviewed by: May 10, 2024
- SOG Completion Timeframe: September 1, 2024
- The SOG Summary Report is due one week after the completion of the SOG experience.
- Ad Hoc
- Students may apply for an ad hoc SOG at any time. These applications will be reviewed separately and awarded depending on funding availability.
- The SOG Summary Report is due one week after the completion of the SOG experience.
SOG Application Requirements
Students interested in applying must fill out this application form and attach a 3 to 5-page narrative grant proposal.
Proposals must include:
- A brief description of the opportunity to which the student is applying.
- An explanation of how the opportunity relates to the program’s learning objectives and the applicant’s career objectives.
- A description of why these objectives cannot be achieved through existing Kroc School or USD programs and resources.
- A work plan that articulates project goals and how they will be measured.
- An itemized budget, listing expenses for which funds are requested.
SOG Awards & Financials
SOGs will be awarded on a competitive basis. In determining whether to award a grant, as well as how much to award, the Review Committee will evaluate the strength of the aforementioned criteria. Grant applications that are poorly written, which contain typos and spelling errors, etc., will likely not be funded.
Upon completion of the opportunity for which the grant was awarded, awardees are expected to make a full financial account for all monies received, including receipts equal to the amount received.
Airfare purchases must be booked through Concur or an agent at CTP. Booking flights should only occur after approval of an SOG award as the expense is charged directly to a USD cost center and no reimbursement is involved.
To receive reimbursement students must submit receipts and proof of travel.
Examples of required documentation include:
- Conference registration receipt
- Car rental and taxi/rideshare receipts
- Hotel receipts
- Per diem documentation for rate and # of days claimed
- Itemized meal receipts
**Reimbursements will be made in US dollars. Please include currency conversions if applicable.
Requests for reimbursement must be submitted no later than two weeks (14 days) from the end of the SOG-approved experience.
SOG Summary Report
Students must submit a 1-2 page report summarizing their experiences, which may be shared on the website or in Kroc School publications, if appropriate. Please note if there
is any confidential or sensitive information that should not be shared. The SOG Summary Report is due one week after the completion of the SOG experience.