The Center for Public Service administers award, scholarship and grant programs that support and recognize students' community engagement commitments. See below for more information and how to apply. Please contact Maurice Smith with any questions.
Returning Undergraduates Awards and Scholarship Application
Graduating Senior Awards Application
Nominate a Student
The Jena Hellman Leblang Emerging Leader in Service Award was established in recognize the work of one undergraduate student who is following in Mrs. Leblang’s path by bringing smiles to the faces of those who need it. This student, like Mrs. Leblang, will have dedicated their time to enhancing the quality of life of those around them through volunteering, organizing, donating and, above all, caring. Mrs. Leblang may no longer be with us, but her spirit of selflessness and generosity lives on in the Foundation, this award, and the many individuals who believe that everyone needs a smile. The recipient will be honored during the annual Community Involvement Award ceremony held in April and receive a cash award totaling $500. Open to rising Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors!
The Jim Runsdorf Excellence in Public Service Student Award will identify and recognize students who demonstrate social responsibility and awareness of the needs of the community through significant contributions throughout their undergraduate tenure at Tulane. These students should embody the best practices of civic engagement, be committed, compassionate leaders and show dedication to the rebuilding efforts in the city of New Orleans. Student must submit a resume, personal statement, and letter of recommendation to be considered for this award. The recipients will be honored during an event with various Tulane administrators as well as representatives from the Runsdorf family and receive a cash award totaling $500. Open to Graduating Seniors Class of 2025!
The Leaders in Service: Top Public Service Student Award recognizes students who have committed their Tulane University career to improving the community around them. Whether through service-learning courses, internships, student leadership or volunteerism, the students recognized have shown dedication in their commitment to the New Orleans community and beyond. This is a non-monetary award. Open to Graduating Seniors Class of 2025!
The Stair Award for Excellence in Community Engagement in New Orleans recognizes undergraduate students at Tulane who have dedicated exceptional time and effort to public service activities in the greater New Orleans area and whose skills and experiences prepare them to continue as engaged civic leaders upon graduation. The recipients will be honored by a member of the Stair family during the annual Community Involvement Award ceremony held in April and receive a cash award totaling $2000. Open to rising Juniors and Seniors!
The Community Involvement Awards are a collaboration between Community Action Council of Tulane University Students and CPS that recognize outstanding students, student organizations, service-learning course and community partners that have had a positive impact in New Orleans communities. These are non-monetary awards.
The Fran and Mark Berg Public Service Scholarship
The Fran and Mark Berg Public Service Scholarship provides a one-year scholarship to at least one or more Tulane University rising junior or senior who has shown significant commitment to community engagement activities and has an interest in working in a public service or social service occupation after graduation. In addition to responding to application questions, students must provide a current resume, personal statement reflecting on the impact of their community engagement experiences, digital copy of university transcript and two professional references. Open to rising Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors! ($5000 per award)
The Felson Service Fund awards small grants to undergraduate students interested in starting new programs, expanding existing programs or further their professional development within community and civic engagement. Grant requests are reviewed during the fall and spring academic terms only. Funds are generally limited to $250 for individuals and up to $500 for student organizations. You must complete and application with a full project and budget proposals on wave sync. The Felson Service Fund is made possible by the generosity of the Felson family and the Jayme and Kara Felson Endowed Fund for Public Service.
CPS Undergraduate Student Research Grants support undergraduate students conducting community-based research as part of an independent study course or an approved honors thesis.
Proposals should address the following information and should not exceed three pages.
- Honors Thesis/Independent study description including:
- Project rationale
- Plan for community partnership
- Research plan
- Dissemination plan
- Explanation of public service contribution (Why is this research a public service?)
- A detailed budget and budget narrative
- Thesis director or Faculty advisor contact information
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until grant money has been fully utilized and should be electronically submitted. Honors Thesis proposals should also be submitted to Trina Beck, Assistant Dean, Honors Program. For more information, please contact cps@tulane.edu.
Graduate Student Community-Engaged Research Summer Grant
The Center for Public Service (CPS) offers Community-Engaged Research Summer Grants for graduate students whose research engages community partners in reciprocal relationships to co-produce knowledge, resulting in public value and recognizable scholarly impacts in their field(s) of inquiry.
CPS understands community engagement as defined by relationships between those in the university and those outside the university that are grounded in the qualities of reciprocity, mutual respect, shared authority and co-creation of goals and outcomes. Such relationships are by their very nature transdisciplinary (knowledge transcending the disciplines and the college or university) and asset-based (where the strengths, skills, and knowledge of those in the community are validated and legitimized). They are also based on equity and social justice, which are central in the Center’s values and work. Support for this area of research is consistent with the Center’s mission to build “collaborative partnerships and programs that promote empowerment, understanding, civility and justice in our communities.” Community partners may be nonprofit organizations, government offices, schools, faith-based organizations, hospitals, and for-profit businesses when the research project is demonstrated to benefit the public and broader communities.
Community engaged research should also carry impact. Impact is conceived as “the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes” (NSF) and is shaped by examining the nature of the system within which knowledge is transformed into public policy or social action and how scholars engage others to transform research into actionable and useful knowledge.
The research awards will be up to $2,000 to doctoral students and up to $1,000 to master’s students. The funding period is during the summer.
Click here for access to the Summer 2025 RFP. Deadline for Summer 2026 RFP TBA.
For any questions, please contact cps@tulane.edu.
