Cardinal Capstone Innovation Grant Guidelines

Propelled by a generous 5-year gift to the university, the Cardinal Capstone Innovation Initiative supports faculty and instructors in developing and sustaining community-engaged capstones that meet the criteria for Cardinal Courses:

Connect learning and community engagement: Integrate course learning objectives with experiences centered on local or global communities.
Address public challenges: Engage students in addressing a social or environmental challenge in collaboration with a stakeholder organization.
Create reciprocal value: Produce benefits for both students and community partners, or advance technologies or frameworks through collaboration.
Engage students with public issues: Provide opportunities for students to critically examine public issues.
Practice ethical and effective service: Embody Stanford's Principles of Ethical and Effective Service.

Grants help instructors build community partnerships, develop meaningful projects, and connect student learning with community-identified priorities and needs. Two funding options are available:

Cardinal Capstone Planning Grants - Up to $10,000 for one year

Planning Grants support the development of a new community-engaged capstone course or course sequence. Funding can support curriculum and project development, community partnership cultivation, and other activities needed to prepare for implementation.

Planning Grant funds may support:

Supplemental instructor compensation, up to $5,000
Graduate student assistance for curriculum development, community partner outreach, and project scoping
Honoraria for community partners who help co-design curricula and projects
Transportation for instructors and/or graduate student assistants to visit potential community partner sites

Planning Grant recipients may be eligible to apply for an Implementation Bridge Grant in a subsequent year.

Cardinal Capstone Implementation Bridge Grants - Up to $16,000 for one year

Implementation Bridge Grants may support the launch of a new Cardinal Capstone course or course sequence; expansion of an existing Cardinal Capstone; or integration of community-engaged pilot projects into an existing capstone course.

Bridge Grants are intended to supplement, not replace, departmental or program funding for capstone instruction. Recipients may be eligible for a second year of bridge funding with sufficient justification. After the bridge-funding period, instructors may apply for Cardinal Course grants of up to $3,000 to sustain the course.

Bridge Grant funds may support:

Course Assistants or Teaching Assistants
Community Engaged Learning Coordinators
Student transportation to community partner sites
Community project materials
Food for community events
Community partner honoraria
TB tests and Livescan background checks for work with minors

Transportation funding is intended primarily for regional travel. Global travel may be considered with strong justification.

Applying for a Grant

Applications ask instructors to demonstrate how the proposed capstone will provide a meaningful community-engaged learning experience and how the program or department will support the course over time.

Planning Grants

Applicants will describe:

The proposed capstone course or sequence, student learning objectives, and role of community engagement
The public issues the course will address
Proposed community-engaged projects, potential partners, and anticipated student deliverables
How projects will respond to community-identified priorities and needs
How community partner feedback will shape projects and deliverables
How students will learn and apply the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service
How students will be prepared to work with community partners
Opportunities for student reflection on their community engagement
How the Cardinal Capstone fits within existing departmental capstone options, including anticipated demand and departmental support
The proposed planning process, timeline, and key activities
An itemized budget and justification

Implementation Bridge Grants

Applicants will describe:

Whether the application covers a single course or a sequence of courses across multiple quarters
The course syllabus and current Cardinal Course designation, if applicable
How the community-engaged projects contribute to student learning objectives
Community partners and proposed projects, including anticipated student deliverables
How projects respond to community-identified priorities and needs
How community partner feedback will be collected and incorporated
How the Cardinal Capstone fits within departmental capstone options, including enrollment and plans for long-term support
An itemized budget and justification

If a course is not already designated as a Cardinal Course, the application will also ask instructors to describe how students will learn and apply the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service, prepare to work with community partners, and reflect on their community engagement.

2026-27 Grant Deadlines

November 11, 2026 (notifications by November 24)
February 17, 2027 (notifications by March 2)

Grant Reporting

Grant recipients will submit a report at the conclusion of the grant period documenting progress, outcomes, expenditures, and plans for sustaining the Cardinal Capstone.

Planning Grant recipients

The report will include:

A description and reflection on the planning process, including lessons learned, successes, and challenges
The course syllabus
Anticipated launch quarter(s)
Anticipated enrollment and the percentage of students expected to participate in community-engaged projects
Detailed accounting of grant expenditures
Plans for pursuing Cardinal Course designation and implementation funding
Confirmation of departmental support and planned departmental investment

Implementation Bridge Grant recipients