Michigan continues to be a leader in combating sexual assault on college and university campuses, with $1 million in grant funding now available through the Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program (CSAGP). Applications are being accepted from public and non-public Michigan colleges and universities to help support ongoing efforts to reduce sexual assaults on campuses across Michigan.
This is the fourth round of grants after First Lady Sue Snyder and Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue announced the program in June 2015 following the First Lady's "Inform. Empower. Prevent. Let's End Campus Sexual Assault" summit. Thanks to bipartisan efforts to address this critical statewide issue, $1 million was appropriated from Michigan's Fiscal Year 2019 General Fund budget-the largest investment in the program to date.
"These grant dollars play a critical role in fostering long-overdue culture change in Michigan by enabling schools to develop and implement innovative approaches to combat campus sexual assault," First Lady Snyder said. "I thank the Governor and our partners in the Legislature for renewing and increasing this critical investment to promote the health and safety of Michigan's students."
In 2015, Gov. Snyder recommended and the Michigan Legislature appropriated $500,000 from the FY 2016 General Fund to support the grant program. An additional $500,000 to support the program was authorized for FY 2017 and was renewed again for FY 2018 for $600,000.
Last year, 16 awards were made for projects that included developing mobile reporting applications for students and faculty, developing student-driven training videos, providing trauma-informed sexual assault training to first responders, and creating sexual assault networks for colleges to share resources and innovative programs.
On Sept. 24, First Lady Snyder will host the fourth "Inform. Empower. Prevent. Let's End Campus Sexual Assault" summit at Western Michigan University. The summit will continue the conversation of campus assault and is an ongoing campaign to inform communities, empower individuals and ultimately bring an end to campus sexual assault.
The grant application can be found at www.michigan.gov/CJgrants. Applications will be accepted until noon on Monday, Oct. 8.
Eligible applicants are permitted to submit up to two applications for projects in the following five program areas: education, awareness, prevention, reporting and bystander intervention, or for campus improvements related to student safety, which may include lighting, security cameras, secure entrances, and more.
Applicants are encouraged to research and develop their projects with state and national sexual assault experts, as well as model their proposals after evidence-based sexual assault programs. Campus upgrades related to student safety require applicants to work collaboratively with their campus or local police department and include a letter of support from the campus or local police department with their application.
To be considered for funding all applicants must:
- Submit a detailed and complete application with all required information by noon on Oct. 8.
- Be a public or non-public university, college, or community college where students attend classes on a physical campus in the state of Michigan.
- Provide a project overview that includes project title, goals, and objectives, proposed start and completion dates, estimated cost, grant amount requested, and additional partners participating in the project.
- Have a project that starts after Nov. 20, 2018, and completes by Nov. 30, 2019.
- Submit no more than two applications per college/university.
Grant applications will be reviewed by a committee that includes representatives from the Michigan State Police, Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board, and the Executive Office of the Governor.
For questions regarding the grant program or to submit an application, email msp-csagrant@michigan.gov.
For additional information regarding the "Inform. Empower. Prevent. Let's End Campus Sexual Assault" summit, visit www.endcampussexualassault.com.
Published: Mon, Aug 20, 2018
