Mason Impact for Students

With the support of George Mason's Office of Student Creative Activities and Research, you will conduct research to make an intellectual or creative contribution to your field of study—taking ownership of a project in the process. 

For sustainability-based projects, visit the Patriot Green Fund for more information. 

You will participate in local, regional/state, national, or global community partnerships—in the public or private sector—that involve a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge, resources, or services.  

To learn more about George Mason's commitment to community engagement and social justice, visit the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning. 

Do you see a problem as an opportunity to recommend a policy, start a business, create a prototype, or participate in their future profession? With a MI+ENTR experience, you will be able to identify and address problems and challenges within a professional context. 

Mason Impact projects can:  

• Be led by an individual student or a team of students 
• Be substantial in breadth, scope, scale, maturity, effort, and time involved 
• Draw from academic research and scholarly practice 
• Be presented to a public audience appropriate to the project and discipline 

Project submission can come in many forms, including: 

• Papers 
• Novels 
• Slides 
• Videos 
• Audio 
• Or anything that showcases your best work

1. Understand how academic knowledge is generated and communicated, and how it can be used to address questions or problems within your discipline and in society. 
2. Identify and negotiate multiple perspectives, work collaboratively within and across multiple contexts, and engage ethically with your subject and with others. 
3. Use inquiry skills to articulate a question; engage in an inquiry process; and situate the concepts, practices, or results within a broader context, including: 
   • Asking increasingly complex questions about significant problems, debates, or challenges 
   • Evaluating and choosing inquiry methods that are appropriate to a project 
   • Explaining how a project has value to local, civic, professional, scholarly, or global contexts 
4. Design and carry out a project (individual or collaborative) that explores our original question, seeks a creative solution to a problem, applies knowledge to a professional challenge, or offers a unique perspective. 
5. Professionally communicate knowledge from your project through a presentation, publication, or performance to an audience beyond the classroom.

You may be eligible to receive up to $500 for expenses and supplies needed to complete a Mason Impact project. To be eligible you must: 

• Be an undergraduate student currently enrolled at George Mason 
• Plan on completing a Mason Impact Project the semester that you receive funding 
• Not be receiving funding from the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research or Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning to complete this project during this semester 
• Be either part of a Mason Impact + course, experience, or conform to the definition of a Mason Impact Project, which can be found above 

Once you receive funding, you will be expected to submit your project to the Office of Undergraduate Education as a Mason Impact project receiving a transcript designation. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the semester. 

Learn more about Mini Grants and submit your application to start making an impact.