Ingenuity in Action - Funding Overview
How does funding work for Ingenuity in Action at Cornell?
Ingenuity in Action requires students to complete two qualifying experiences before graduation. Some experiences have costs associated with them (such as an off-campus course), and some do not (such as acting as President of Student Senate). For those experiences that have out of pocket costs, Cornell provides up to $5000 towards eligible expenses for your combined Ingenuity in Action requirements. This ensures everyone has access to hands-on opportunities.
What kinds of experiences are funded?
InAct funding falls into four primary types of activities, and each has slightly different approaches to funding methods. It’s best to familiarize yourself with the options before you pick your experiences, as some experiences have higher expenses than others. Knowing this ahead of time will ensure you do not exceed the funding ceiling of $5000.
| Internships | Research projects |
|---|---|
| Internships can be on-campus or off-campus roles that you take on for a block, a summer, a semester, or a custom period of time. Funding is available for unpaid internships and usually covers travel costs, housing costs, food costs or a combination thereof. Occasionally it may also cover supplies when needed to do the work of the internship. Students can request up to $5,000 in eligible expenses for an internship. Actual costs will determine the funding amount disbursed. | Research projects can be supervised on or off campus by Cornell faculty, or completed off-campus at partner institutions. Research projects can be completed for academic credit (as a capstone or independent course) and/or transcription. Students may apply for support funding for all these types of research projects. The Cornell Summer Research Institute (CSRI), a pre-approved activity, is the most common research opportunity you’ll find on campus. A CSRI experience includes no-cost summer housing on campus and a $2,500 stipend for food and incidentals. |
| Off-campus study | Other |
| Off-campus study that is tied to a registered Cornell course and is a pre-approved activity is generally funded at 35% of the total cost of the experience. This funding goes directly toward the travel and lodging costs associated with the experience and will be discounted from your course fee once you apply via the InAct portal. Other off-campus activities include semester-long study abroad experiences that would require a proposal for approval. Learn more about study abroad opportunities on the Off-Campus Study Website. | This type of funding means that you have a great idea and you want to design your own experience! To do this you’ll need to identify your sponsor and gather all the costs you anticipate for your project to submit with your request for approval. |
When do I apply for funding?
It’s important to apply for funding and approval for each InAct experience before it starts. We cannot approve requests for reimbursement after an activity is completed outside our InAct framework. Additional guidelines for individual activities can be found on our detailed page about the process to apply for InAct funding.
How do I apply for InAct funding?
Funding for your experiences is a part of the request process that you complete in the InAct portal. If you are choosing a pre-approved activity, you’ll enter the portal, answer a few questions, and select your planned experience from the pre-approved list. You’ll wait for approval from the Ingenuity in Action committee and you’re done.
For more details on how to apply for funding, and how you can request funding for an experience that is unique to you and not yet on the pre-approved list, read our detailed page about the process to apply for InAct funding.
What happens if my experience is canceled or I can't complete it due to circumstances out of my control?
These things happen. Contact your sponsor, your advisor, or the Ingenuity in Action committee and we'll help you figure this out.
Where does Ingenuity In Action funding come from?
A large group of Cornell alumni and friends feel very strongly that the kinds of experiences students get from the InAct program are important to their future life, career, and success as a global citizen. They have donated funds to the college, primarily through endowed funds, that allow us to support these opportunities for current students. This money is dedicated solely for this purpose and is completely separate from the tuition individual students pay.
Questions? Contact us
Contact the Coordinator for Experiential Learning, Danielle Linkenmeyer. You may also send an email to: ingenuity_in_action@cornellcollege.edu and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.