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TheResilientCommunitiesProject

New!Small-ScaleRCPPartnershipOpportunityApplicationInformationforthe2019–2020AcademicYear

TheUniversityofMinnesota’sResilientCommunitiesProject(RCP,rcp.umn.edu)isacceptingapplicationsfromcities,counties,tribalgovernments,specialdistricts,andregionalgovernmentagenciesorcollaborativesforournewSmall-ScaleRCPPartnershipsforthe2019–2020academicyear.

TheSmall-ScaleRCPPartnershipopportunityisintendedforcommunitiesseekingtocollaboratewithRCPononetofive(1–5)projects.SuccessfulapplicantswillbenefitfromworkbyUniversityofMinnesotastudents,faculty,andstaff,fromavarietyofdisciplines,toprovideresearchandtechnicalassistancewithlocallyidentifiedprojectsthatadvancecommunityresiliency.Theselectionprocessiscompetitive,andthepartnermustsupporttheeffortthroughdedicatedstafftimeandalocalfinancialcontribution.

Proposalsareacceptedatanytimethroughouttheyear.Youcansubmityourproposalonlineathttps://z.umn.edu/apply-small-rcporemailitasasinglePDFfiletorcp@umn.edu.

RCPstaffareavailabletohelpwithdevelopmentofyourapplicationatanystage—fromintroducingtheRCPprogramandmodeltoyourstaff,electedofficials,andotherstakeholderstohelpingbrainstormideasforprojects.Contactrcp@umn.edutogetstarted!

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OVERVIEWOFRCPRCPisapartnershipbetweentheUniversityofMinnesotaandlocalgovernmentagenciesinMinnesotathatengagesstudentsandfacultyfromacrosstheuniversitytoworkonresiliency,sustainability,andlivabilityprojectsincollaborationwiththepartner.Studentsandfacultyaddressthepartner’sresearchandtechnicalassistanceneedsthroughcourse-basedorindependentstudentprojects,providingeasyandefficientaccesstoresearchandexpertiseavailableanywherewithintheUniversityofMinnesotasystem.

RCPworkscloselywithourpartnerstomatchprojectswithstudentsandfacultyfromawiderangeofdisciplines.Assistanceisavailablerelatedtoallaspectsofcommunityresiliency(e.g.,environmentalhealth,economicopportunity,socialequity,communitylivability),atallprojectstages(analysis,planning,design,implementation,andevaluation),andacrossalldepartmentsintheorganization(administration,humanresources,corrections,policeandfire,planning,publichealth,environmentalmanagement,publicworks,engineering,communications,parksandrecreation,finance,andmore).

HOWANRCPPARTNERSHIPWORKSRCPwillselectoneormorepartnersforthe2019–2020academicyear(September2019toAugust2020).Thecollaborationwillbeginwithaseriesofplanningandorientationmeetings,withUofMNstudentsactivelyworkingonprojectsbeginninginfall(September2019)orspring(January2020)semesters,dependingonyourprojecttimelineandcourseavailability.

PartnerCommunityCommitment

AkeyelementofasuccessfulRCPpartnershipiscommitmentandinvolvementfrompartnerstaff.Foreachprojectsubmitted,partnercommunitieswillbeexpectedtoidentifyaprojectlead—astaffmemberwhowillbetheprimarypointofcontactforstudentsandfacultyworkingonthatproject.ProjectleadsareresponsibleforattendinganinitialRCPorientationsession;participatinginprojectscopingmeetings;preparingbackgroundmaterialsforstudentsandfaculty;pitchingprojectsduringclassmeetingtimesontheUofMNMinneapolisorSt.Paulcampuses;leadingstudentsonsitevisitsinthecommunity;attendingregularprojectmeetings;initiatingandcoordinatingtheparticipationofresidents,communityorganizations,orotherstakeholdersinthe

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project;participatinginperiodicreviewsofstudentworkthroughoutthesemester;andcoordinatingandattendingfinalpresentationsofstudentworkontheUofMNcampusesand/orinthecommunity.Projectleadsshouldanticipatespendinganaverageof3–5hoursperweekoneachprojecttheyareresponsibleforduringeachsemestertheprojectisactive.

RCPandUniversityCommitment

ThecoordinationandstaffsupportRCPprovidesofferssignificantbenefitsandefficienciesoverstand-aloneprojectsyourorganizationmightundertakewithanindividualfacultymemberattheUofMN,includingsubstantialassistancematching,scoping,coordinating,andmanagingprojects.RCPstaffwithknowledgeofthebroadrangeofacademicdepartmentsandresourcesattheUniversityandwithexpertiseincommunityresiliency,projectmanagement,and

communicationswillprovideongoingsupporttoensurehigh-qualityoutcomesthatmeetyourorganization’sneeds.Thisincludesrecruitingandcoordinatinguniversitystaffandresources(students,faculty,courses),facilitatingprojectscoping,identifyingandcoordinatingdeliveryofdataandbackgroundinformationforprojectsasneeded,maintainingaBasecampprojectmanagementsystem,coordinatingcommunicationsandmediaoutreachaboutthepartnership,planningandstaffingcommunityevents,reimbursingproject-relatedtravelandmaterialcoststosupportstudentparticipationintheprogram,promotingpartnershipactivitiesthroughsocialandearnedmedia,andtroubleshootingprojectsasneeded.

OutcomesfromeachUniversitycourseorindependentstudentteamthatparticipatesinaprojectwillbedocumentedinafinalpresentationandreport(orotheragreed-upondeliverable)attheconclusionoftheproject.AllstudentworkwillbelicensedthroughaCreativeCommonsagreementthatallowsourpartnerstoreproduce,distribute,oradapttheworkforothernon-commercialpurposes.

FinancialCostoftheProgram

RCPreceivessomefundingandin-kindsupportfromtheUniversityofMinnesota’sCenterforUrbanandRegionalAffairs(CURA),butwealsodependonalocalfinancialcontributionfromourpartnerstosupportprogramstaffingandoperations.Partnersmaychoosetofundtheirlocalcontributionthroughacollaborationwithothergroups,suchascountyandstateagencies,schoolandwatersheddistricts,privatedevelopers,educationalinstitutions,nonprofitorganizations,businesses,andchambersofcommerce.Regardlessofwherethesefundsareobtainedfrom,thepartnercommunityisresponsibleforactingasthesolefiscalagentforthepartnership,andformakingonelump-sumpaymenttoRCPforallprojectsthataresuccessfullymatched.

Thebasepriceforparticipationintheprogramforthe2019–2020academicyearis$5,000perproject,withaguaranteethat1–2UniversityofMinnesotacoursesorindependentstudentteams

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willbematchedwitheachproject.Additionalcoursesorassistancemayincuradditionalcosts(pendingyourorganization’spre-approvalofsuchexpenditures).

APPLICATIONPROCESS

SubmittingYourApplication

Youcansubmityourproposalonlineathttps://z.umn.edu/apply-small-rcporemailitasasinglePDFfiletorcp@umn.edu.Proposalsareacceptedatanytimethroughouttheyear.

RCPstaffareavailabletohelpwithdevelopmentofyourapplicationatanystage—fromintroducingtheRCPprogramandmodeltoyourstaff,electedofficials,andotherstakeholderstohelpingbrainstormideasforprojects.Contactusatrcp@umn.eduforassistanceorwithquestions.

RequiredApplicationComponents

1. PartnerInformation:Provide(a)thenameofyourorganizationorcommunity,(b)currentpopulationandnumberofhouseholdsinthegeographicareayouserviceorrepresent,(c)annualbudget,(d)thetotalnumberofstaffyourorganizationemploys.ForpartnerslocatedmorethantwohoursfromtheUofMNTwinCitiescampuses,describeanyspecialarrangementstoaddressissuesofcollaborationandcoordinationatadistance(forexample,accesstovideoconferencingorothertechnologicalresources).

2. ProposedProject(s):Provideindividualdescriptionsofupto5projects.Projectsshouldaddresshigh-priorityissuesforyourorganizationorthecommunity,andinvolveresearchquestionsortechnicalassistanceneedsthatareappropriateforgraduate-levelstudentwork.Foreachproject,providethefollowinginformation:

a. Projectname/title.Shouldbedescriptiveoftheproject,butcanalsobecreative.b. Projectlead.Identifyonestaffpersonwhowillserveastheprimarycontactforthe

project,aswellastheirjobtitle,department,e-mailaddress,andphonenumber.Thisindividualmustbeabletocommitanaverageof3–5hoursperweektotheprojecteachacademicsemesterthattheprojectisactivethroughoutthepartnership.

c. A1–2paragraphdescriptionoftheproject.Whatisthecontextfortheproject?Whyisthisprojectimportantatthistime?Whatareyourorganization’sultimategoals/objectivesrelatedtotheprojectorthelargerissuestheprojectaddresses?Howwillthestudentworkbeusedbyyourorganizationorcommunity?

d. 3–5specificissues,questions,ideas,orproblemsforconsiderationthatyouwantstudentstoaddress.Whatarethekeythingsthatwouldhelptoadvancelocaleffortsonthisprojectorontheissuesthisprojecttouches?

e. Communitypartnersorstakeholders(externaltoyourorganization)thatwillbeinvitedtoparticipateintheproject—forexample,othergovernmentagencies,nonprofitorcommunityorganizations,residentorneighborhoodgroups,orlocalbusinesses.Describespecificallyhowtheseindividualsororganizationswillbeinvolved,whattheywilldo,andhowtheirparticipationwillbenefittheproject.NOTE:ItisNOTnecessarytoincludepartnersorstakeholdersforeveryprojectproposed.

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ApplicantsarestronglyencouragedtocontactRCPduringpreparationoftheirapplicationtodiscussproposedprojectsandensuretheyarewithinthecapacityofRCPandtheUofMN,andappropriateforstudentwork.Foralistofprojectsproposedbypreviouspartners,visitrcp.umn.edu(underthe“Communities”menu).Notethattheseprojectlistsarenotexhaustive,andotherissuesandtopicareasnotrepresentedherearecertainlyfeasible.

3. DemonstrationofSupport:Includelettersofsupportorformalresolutionsfromoneormoreofthefollowing:city/countymanageroradministrator,mayor,electedgoverningbody(citycouncil,countyboard,etc.),relevantdepartmentheads,proposedpartnerorganizationsoragencies,proposedfundingentities.

ApplicationEvaluationCriteriaRCPwillevaluateyourapplicationbasedonthefollowingcriteria:

1. Top-LevelSupportandAdministrativeCapacity:SeniorstaffshowacommitmenttoparticipateintheRCPprogramandtodirectstafftimeandresourcestothepartnership.

2. ClearResiliencyFocus:Projectsclearlybuilduponandadvancethepartner’soverallresiliencyefforts,andincludespecificresiliency-relatedgoals—forexample,reducinggreenhousegasemissions,fosteringactiveliving,reducingturnoveramongstaff,supportingalternativemodesoftransportationorenergygeneration,enhancingsocialequity,engagingunderservedormarginalizedgroups,increasingandimprovingpublicparticipationandvolunteeropportunities,creatingastrongersenseofcommunityorplace,enhancinglivability,increasinggovernmenttransparencyoraccountability,conservingorrestoringenvironmentalresources,preservingorenhancingecosystemservices,increasinghousingdensityormix,improvingurbanform,reducingenergyuse,findingadaptivereusesforexistingstructures,redevelopingunderutilizedlandparcels,promotingequitableeconomicdevelopment,orensuringfiscallyprudentinfrastructureinvestments.[Note:Thislistisforillustrationonlyandisbynomeansexhaustive.]

3. ProjectRelevanceandImpact:Projectsarewellformulated,issuesorquestionsforinvestigationareclear,andprojectsdemonstratethepotentialtohaveameasurablepositiveimpactoncommunityresiliency.

4. CommunityEngagement:Projectsincludeacommitmenttomeaningfullyandappropriatelyengageresidentsandotherstakeholdersthroughoutthepartnershipasameansofintegratinglocalknowledge,andstrengtheningandbroadeningsupportforlocalresiliencyefforts.

5. LikelihoodofMatchwithUniversityCourses:ProjectsmustbewithinthecapabilityofUniversityofMinnesotagraduatestudents,andshouldinvolveappropriateresearchand/ortechnicalassistanceneeds,notmenialtasksorlow-leveladministrativework.RCPworkshardtomatchprojects;however,wecannotguaranteematches.

6. ExternalPartnerships:Applicantsareencouragedtocollaboratewithotherlocalentities(e.g.neighboringcities,counties,watersheddistricts,transportationdistricts,schooldistricts,businessorprofessionalorganizations,privatefunders,researchoreducationalinstitutions)toformulateprojectsandsharepartnershipcosts.