Community-Academic Scholars: Student Scholars
Benefits of Participation
- Develop applied research skills for measuring and maximizing impact
- Build cultural and civic skills while becoming a more informed citizen
- Strengthen teamwork/collaboration skills by working with both campus and community partners
- Sharpen professional communication skills by developing a plan for updating faculty and community mentors on weekly progress
- Witness firsthand how your work makes a difference in the local community
- Enrich the experience and engage with local community agencies through optional service opportunities
Virtual Information Session
View a video recording from the Community-Academic Scholars information session held Nov. 18, 2024. The info session includes details about the program and application process, project examples, the research project matching process, and Q&A with three 2024 scholars. After watching the video, please feel free to email Celina Trujillo with any questions.
Keep up-to-date
Submit a brief interest form to receive updates about the program and application cycle.
Eligibility and preference
- Applicants must be undergraduate students in good standing at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (students graduating in spring or summer 2025 are not eligible to apply).
- Preference is given to minoritized students and to those whose background reflects the communities a project serves.
Program requirements
- Applicants are expected to fulfill the specified hourly requirements of their projects over the summer for 10 weeks.
- Scholars must create a communication plan for updating their faculty and community mentors on weekly progress.
- Scholars must create and present a poster with their summer work at the final awards ceremony in August 2025.
- Scholars are expected to attend a program orientation and weekly coffee hours during the summer.
Scholar stipend
- Scholars will receive a $4,500 stipend to offset the cost of housing and/or other living expenses during the program. This stipend will be disbursed in three payments throughout the summer program.
Selecting a project
- Projects will address health or social justice in the community. View the Summer 2025 Projects.
- Scholar applicants will have an opportunity to learn about and rank projects of interest when completing the application.
- The Community-Academic Scholars team will match each chosen scholar to the project that most aligns with their strengths and interests.
Application process
The application period for the Community-Academic Scholars summer program typically opens mid-January. Sign up to receive updates about info sessions, project announcements, and more.
Questions?
Contact healthinstitute@illinois.edu with any questions about the program.
2022 Scholar
“The most meaningful part of this experience has been the ability to interact with the community members. The University can feel like a bubble, and you miss out on so many connections with such a lively and culture-rich community just five minutes away. It makes it even more important to me because these communities are underrepresented, just as I was while growing up, and I was able to make so many connections with people who looked like me and had the same stories as me growing up.”
Student Scholars FAQs
Is it possible to participate in the Community-Academic Scholars Program remotely?
- The Community-Academic Scholars Program is intended to be an in-person program.
- If warranted, adjustments to the program may be made as they were in 2020 and 2021 for health and safety reasons.
How many hours per week are scholars expected to work on their project?
- Each project will have different requirements; however, this will be a major component of your summer.
- Weekly participation in all CAS activities combined (CAS programming, research, team meetings, trainings, readings, poster preparation, etc) should not exceed 20 hours per week. This allows CAS Scholars to also work a part time job, attend classes, volunteer in the community, manage familial or other responsibilities, etc.
- Most projects will take place during the work week, but communicate this with your faculty mentor. They will work with you to create a schedule that suits your needs, which usually does not include weekends.
Is it possible to get academic credit from participating in the program, as well as the stipend?
- It is not currently possible to get academic credit through the program for work conducted during the summer.
- Some scholars have had the opportunity to work with their mentors beyond the summer program for academic credit.
You do not need to have any specific kind of experience. The important thing is to communicate your passion for and connection with research topic when you are writing your statement of interest for each project you choose.
- Scholar applicants will select and rank their preferences for existing community-academic research projects when completing their application.
- Selected scholars are then matched to the project that best aligns with their strengths and interests.
Is housing provided for scholars during the summer?
- Housing is not provided.
- The $4,500 stipend can help cover housing expenses.
- Subleasing is the most common way to secure a place to live during the summer, many students will be looking to sublease their apartments during the summer. You can find these through friends, RSOs, and social media. If you are currently enrolled, you can also look into housing with the university.
What if we need transportation to our project site?
- You will work out transportation with your faculty member, in the past we’ve had a few projects take place in Rantoul or Danville; faculty mentors will work with you to ensure you can make it to the research site
How many applicants are accepted into the program?
- The number of scholars accepted into the program varies slightly each year.
- We expect approximately 15 scholars to be accepted into the program.
When are applicants notified of their acceptance into the program?
- Finalists will be invited to interview in mid-late February.
- All applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by early March.
Should the projects student apply for pertain to their major, or can they branch out?
- Applicants are welcome to apply for projects in their major or outside their major.
- Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate on their application how and why the projects fit with their interests and strengths, regardless of their major.
Can students from any major apply? What if their current major is undecided?
Yes. Students from all majors, including undecided, are encouraged to apply.
Will scholars work individually or in teams for their projects?
- It is most common to be the only community-academic scholar on the research team, though some projects may accept two scholars.
- Scholars may work on a team with other undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers.
Can you tell me more about the research poster requirement for the end of the summer program?
- Scholars will work with their academic mentors and the Community-Academic Scholars program team to develop a poster and short 2-minute presentation to share their research project with the community.
- Don’t worry if you have never done a research poster presentation before! We will provide a basic template and work with you to develop your poster.