Current Grants for Student Organizations

The Chicago PhD Student Conference on Cities

The Chicago PhD Conference on Cities will bring together PhD students in Chicago working on urban topics, broadly defined, to present their research in an open atmosphere. The goal of the conference is to foster community among urban scholars in Chicago and to provide a space for students to learn from one another and get feedback on early-stage research. The conference aims to expand the research frontier in the study of cities in fields such as architecture, urban planning, urban history, social stratification of cities, real estate, municipal finance, and local public policy by encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration among the next generation of scholars.

Civic Scopeathon 2024

South Side Civic‘s annual Civic Scopeathon has nurtured grass-roots projects for the last decade. The project fosters collaboration between organizers of local Chicago non-profit organizations, University Chicago students, and UChicago institutional resources. At the Civic Scopeathon, students help design solutions for data and organizational issues the organizations face but lack the personnel to address. They also facilitate opportunities for students to maintain long-term engagements with non-profits. Projects from Scopeathon have become initiatives with the Community Data Fellowship program at the Data Science Institute, the Data Science Clinic, and independently arranged internship and volunteering opportunities.

Data, Ethics, and Policy Conference

The third annual Data, Ethics, and Policy (DEP) conference is a student-organized event which aims to bring together thought leaders from academia, industry, government, and community organizations to address complex ethical questions surrounding the use of data science and AI. The full-day conference will foster collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue within the University community. This year’s conference will include speakers from across diverse disciplines and regions engaging in discourse about digital governance, including designing smart cities in the age of climate change, and global conflict.

Geographic Studies Club, Chicago Fund

The University of Chicago Geographic Studies Club (UCGEO) aims to deepen undergraduate engagement with global affairs and Chicago’s urban landscape through a series of consulate visits. Building on their successful delegations to the Indian, Canadian, Japanese, and Nordic consulates, UCGEO plans to expand their program to include new diplomatic missions in Chicago. These visits offer students unique opportunities to interact with high-ranking ambassadors and diplomats, gaining insights into international relations, cultural exchange, and urban diplomacy. The Mansueto Institute’s support will enable UCGEO to broaden its reach, offering more students the chance to participate in these experiences by funding transportation, materials, and other associated costs.

Neighborhood Innovation Summit

The purpose of the Neighborhood Innovation Summit is to create a gathering to nurture the innovative ideas for urban development within Chicago’s under-served neighborhoods using the dreams of local residents, the skills of University of Chicago students and staff, the help of Chicago urban development and planning leaders, and the accumulation of data from these participants as a catalyst for progressing the story for where these urban communities are and in what ways they can reach where they want to go. The first summit will focus on creating a case study to help the Englewood Neighborhood build a community garden or green space.

UChicago City Planning Club

The UChicago City Planning Club (UCCP) aims to demystify the field of urban planning for University of Chicago students through the mutual development of useful knowledge, such as historic preservation, environmental planning, affordable housing, public-private development, smart cities, sustainable infrastructure, and skills like GIS, and Adobe Creative Suite/InDesign/Illustrator. Additionally, UCCP provides a platform for students to apply what they’ve learned through projects and competitions. This organization will serve as a hub for students, professors, and professionals to connect and collaborate on topics related to urban research and planning. Through engaging workshops, presentations, discussions, and case competitions, members can explore the multifaceted dynamics of cities.