Bring your next big idea for campus to life.
The Prindle Institute supports projects, events, and scholarship at DePauw University that spark ethical reflection, dialogue, and learning. We’re especially excited by proposals that invite conversation and even healthy disagreement—the kind of work that deepens our shared understanding of what it means to live well together. Explore the details below to learn about our funding cycles, project guidelines, and how to apply.
Overview
Three times each academic year, the Prindle Institute’s Advisory Committee reviews funding proposals for ethics-related projects, events, and scholarship at DePauw. The kinds of projects we fund are widely varied, but must have an affiliated faculty member, staff member, or student as the project lead. Student leads must secure a faculty or staff mentor to serve as a project advisor. Because funding is competitive, priority will be on funding those projects that stand to have the biggest impact on the DePauw community. Examples of funded projects include (but are not limited to):
- Bringing speakers to campus
- Hosting meals and discussions
- Hosting a dialogue group or faculty reading group that meets regularly throughout the year or semester
- Engaging and connecting with the local K-12 community
- Funding for faculty/student collaborative research that has a substantial ethics focus
- Funding the dissemination and/or presentation of student research when the project has a strong tie to ethics
In keeping with the Institute’s mission, we welcome creative approaches to ethics education programming, and note that prospective grantees should not regard these examples as exhaustive. Please reach out to Director Jeff Dunn with any questions or concerns about Project Grant proposals.
2025-2026 Funding Cycles
We offer funds on a cycle model to ensure equitable access to funding opportunities. Projects and events should require funds no earlier than four weeks after the application deadline. If your project does not fit the regular funding cycle, the committee may still consider your proposal, but please explain in your application why your request cannot be made within the regular funding cycle.
Funding Cycles:
Fall Cycle (provides funds for projects in Fall or early Spring semesters)
- Deadline for proposals: September 15
- Decisions announced: October 7
Winter Cycle (provides funds for projects in early Spring semester or summer)
- Deadline for proposals: January 15
- Decisions announced: February 7
Spring Cycle (provides funding for projects in summer or early Fall semester)
- Deadline for proposals: April 15
- Decisions announced: May 7
Project Requirements and Guidelines