How to apply
The application lives in our online portal, and you complete it in eight sections. You sign in with your UW NetID, so your name and email are already filled in.
This is a bigger, more involved application than the Research and Leadership scholarships — it funds up to $10,000 for an ambitious community-based project, and it asks for more upfront. Several pieces need people other than you, so the single most important thing is to start early.
Applying happens in two phases
Because these projects are unusual and ambitious, the application happens in two phases: a required advising conversation first, then the full application online.
Phase one — required advising. Before you write your full proposal, you must meet with a Mary Gates Endowment advisor. Develop a short draft project plan and email mgates@uw.edu to schedule a conversation. This isn't a formality — it's where you work out, together, whether your idea fits the Community Investment Scholarship at all, or whether it would be stronger as a Mary Gates Leadership application, and what it will need to succeed. You can keep working on the rest of your materials while you wait for the meeting, but you can't submit without it.
Phase two — the full application. Once you've met with staff and you're ready, review the selection criteria (the single most useful preparation), then complete and submit the online application.
The eight application application sections, in order
- Eligibility check — you must qualify through an eligible UW program
- Applicant information — includes a non-UW email and graduation quarter
- Project details — title, 100-word summary, team size, project length
- Community collaborator — upload your partner's signed form
- Mentor information — your mentor's name and email
- Project proposal — five-page PDF
- Budget proposal — PDF budget, up to $10,000
- Advising confirmation — confirm you met with MGE staff
When all eight show a checkmark, you review everything and submit.
The pieces that need other people
Three parts of this application depend on someone besides you, so line them up first:
- A community collaborator. You must have at least one partner outside UW in the community your project serves. They complete and sign a Community Collaborator Form, which you then upload. Talk to them early — this is a real relationship, not a signature.
- A mentor. Someone who agrees to meet with you regularly throughout the project and writes a letter of support describing the project's feasibility and your readiness. Enter their contact details and the application system emails them; follow up to make sure the email arrives.
- The advising meeting with MGE staff, above.
The two documents to prepare
The project proposal is a five-page PDF (double-spaced, 12-point, 1-inch margins) covering the need for the project, the community it serves, your goals and activities, a timeline across your 3–8 month award period, and how you'll measure impact and sustain the work afterward. In-text citations count toward the five pages; one optional page is allowed for references or figures.
The budget proposal is a separate PDF built from the [Community Investment budget template], proposing how you'd use up to $10,000. Your award is based on the budget you propose, so it should match the scope and length of your project.
The rest
- Project title and a 100-word summary
- Team size and estimated project length (3–8 months)
- Your expected project work hours per week
- A non-UW email address (used only if you're selected)
A few things that are easy to miss
- Eligibility is defined. Unlike Research and Leadership, you must qualify through a specific UW program — a past or present MGE Leadership award, a Community Engagement & Leadership Education program, or the Leadership Minor. The application checks this first.
- The award scales with your budget, up to $10,000, and is meant to support both the project and you while you carry it out.
- If you're awarded, you'll meet with MGE staff again before the fellowship begins to confirm your budget and team.