The application process for the 2026 Engage Detroit Workshops grant program is now open.
Organized by the Office of the Vice Provost for Engaged Learning, this grant provides up to $15,000 in funding for workshops or speaker series that foster meaningful relationships and connections on a topic connecting U-M faculty and staff with Detroit communities.
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Since the launch of the grant program in 2022, 27 proposals have been awarded, with participation from 15 schools and colleges across all three U-M campuses. Past awardees, working alongside their community partners, have made meaningful impacts throughout Detroit, from supporting local small businesses to reconnecting residents with the Detroit River and its rich stories. These efforts show how the grant produces both local and city-wide benefits.
In 2025, the university has identified more than 473 active projects with partners throughout Detroit. This grant continues to strengthen collaboration and broaden access and programming across various schools, colleges and community organizations.
“The Engage Detroit Workshops grant program has been key in expanding the disciplinary breadth and the number of new initiatives and programs connecting U-M with Detroit communities,” said Valeria Bertacco, vice provost for engaged learning. “Community partner engagement and faculty involvement have grown substantially since the initial program launch in 2022.
“We look forward to an exciting new pool of proposals for 2026, and plan to feature the awarded projects at the launch event, which will be held at the U-M Detroit Center on Woodward in April.”
Morgan Yuncker, assistant vice provost for domestic engagement, said the program’s success has fostered collaboration across all three U-M campuses.
“Each year, I am inspired by the collaboration among our faculty, staff and students,” Yuncker said. “Their collaborative efforts spark innovative, community-centered events that serve as incubators for ongoing engagement and future partnerships between the city of Detroit and our campuses. It is exciting to see how these experiences establish a strong foundation for deeper, sustainable connections both within our university and Detroit.”
Proposals should be submitted by a faculty lead organizer affiliated with an academic unit on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn or Flint campuses.
The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. March 1, 2026.
