Dean Goldberg has established the Community Connection Grant program to encourage small group discussion across differences, build facilitation skills, and/or model constructive disagreement. The aim of this program is to foster: activities that promote a well-informed, nuanced understanding of divisive legal and political issues; social events that build trust among members of groups with differing views, perspectives, or approaches; and experiences that help community members develop skills and methods for constructively engaging with one another on difficult topics, or in the wake of discord and distrust prompted by use of social media. Creative approaches to achieving these goals are welcome. The presumption is that initiatives will be completed within the 2026-2027 academic year.
Grant Information
Please review the categories below for more information on criteria and application requirements.
Eligibility
Individual students and student organizations are eligible to apply for funding. Preference will be given to proposals developed collaboratively by, and/or designed to bring together and foster meaningful interaction between, groups with differing backgrounds or perspectives.
We encourage a wide range of project sizes and scopes, including micro-projects. Grant amounts typically will not exceed $1,000; but may be up to $5,000 depending on the initiative.
Please contact DOS-CEEB for advice and support in preparing a proposal, and/or assistance with finding HLS faculty experts, collaborators, facilitators, and additional resources at Harvard (and beyond).
For general inquiries, please reach out to communityconnection@law.harvard.edu.
Information Session and Required Advising
DOS-CEEB will be conducting a virtual information session about applying for a Community Connection Grant on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 12:15-1:30pm.
Applicants must meet briefly with DOS-CEEB prior to submitting an application. Walk in office hours for applicants will be held on:
- Monday, October 5, 2:30-4:30pm
- Tuesday, October 6, 1:00-3:00pm
- Wednesday, October 7, 11:30am-1:30pm
- Thursday, October 8, 2:30-4:30pm
- Friday, October 9, 11:00am-1:00pm
Application Process
We review applications in two cycles, fall and spring. Applications for the fall are due by October 14, 2026. Applications for the spring will be due in mid-February. Funding notifications will be issued approximately three weeks after each application deadline.
Applicants are asked to confirm that they have met with DOS-CEEB and provide:
- a brief proposal, including an explanation of the project’s goals and how it will further community connections at HLS; and
- additional details regarding the project’s co-sponsors (if applicable), budget and proposed timing, location, and any other relevant information.
Administration and Approval Process
DOS-CEEB will administer the application and grant funding, with decisions on grants to be rendered by a three-person Community Connection Grant Committee consisting of a student representative, an HLS faculty member, and a representative from the Dean’s office.
Grant recipients will be asked to share photo(s) and complete a brief post event survey.
Additional Funding Opportunities
The President’s Building Bridges Fund
The President’s Building Bridges Fund (“PBB Fund”) is a competitive program that provides grants of up to $5,000 for student-led initiatives that “enable the development of the skills necessary to respect, relate, and cooperate across lines of difference.” Interested Harvard students may consult the PBB Fund website for information on the application process.
Both the PBB Fund and the HLS Community Connection Grant programs promote community and dialogue. The PBB Fund places an emphasis on “building meaningful relationships between affinity groups whose interests or perspectives on important issues may diverge; advancing intellectual excellence by listening deeply, navigating tension constructively, and fostering cooperation across differences to solve common problems; acting against discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate; and/or fostering dialogue and engagement across differences on campus about interfaith or intercultural issues, or a combination of both.” The HLS Community Connection Grants are smaller in scale than PBB Fund grants, and projects that contemplate collaboration across Harvard schools may be a better fit for PBB Fund grants. Students with proposals that meet the eligibility criteria for both programs may apply to either or both programs, provided that applicants who receive funding from both programs must disclose receipt, and their awards may be reduced to avoid duplicate funding.
Provost Fund for Student Collaboration
The Provost Fund for Student Collaboration (PFSC) supports extracurricular academic collaborations that bring together students from at least three Harvard schools to explore a particular subject. Grants of up to $4,000 will be awarded. The distinguishing characteristic of this fund is its devotion to academic enterprises (as opposed to primarily social, advocacy-based, or charitable activities). The fund is intended to enable students interested in a particular area of intellectual inquiry to explore that area with students enrolled in other schools. These one-year grants support specific activities, and do not provide continuing support. Applications are reviewed from August 15 – April 30 each academic year.
The Fund will typically support a network or consortium of student organizations engaged in collaborative academic activities, such as a conference, a speaker series, or other similar activities. To be eligible, the working group must consist of representatives of at least two recognized student organizations and show meaningful student participation from at least three different schools (with a minimum of at least 10 students).
Each group must identify an administrative “home” in a particular academic unit of the University (school, department, center, program, etc.) that will (a) oversee the financial aspects of the grant, and (b) provide whatever administrative oversight or guidance is necessary. Applicants must also secure a letter of support from one senior student affairs administrator (typically dean of students).