2026-27 º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï Social Innovator in Residence Application (link coming soon)
2026–2027 Thematic Focus: Sustainability
Applications Open: August 11, 2025
Application Deadline: October 10, 2025, by 8:00 a.m. (CDT)
Residency Timing: Fall or Spring Semester, 2026–2027 Academic Year
What the Residency Offers
The Social Innovator in Residence will have the opportunity to:
- Advance their work through reflection, planning, and collaboration with campus and community partners;
- Leverage College resources, including access to research support, networks, and communications platforms;
- Build meaningful relationships with students, faculty, staff, and fellow changemakers;
- Recharge and reflect in º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁϳԹÏ’s rural prairie setting;
- Join a vibrant network of past and future Social Innovators committed to mutual learning and support.
Eligibility
We welcome applications from U.S. citizens authorized to work in the United States, as well as Canadian citizens eligible for J-1 sponsorship.
We are especially eager to support:
- Changemakers driving bold, new approaches in social innovation
- Leaders advancing solutions to pressing social justice challenges
- Visionaries addressing systemic issues with sustainable, equitable strategies
- Mentors who empower and inspire the next generation of changemakers
- Social innovators seeking time and space to deepen their impact
Ideal applicants have a demonstrated track record of leadership, are recognized within their field or community, and are actively creating meaningful change. While alumni and friends of º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï are encouraged to apply, no prior affiliation with the College is required.
Campus Engagement Expectations
During the residency, Innovators will inspire and mentor the campus community by collaboratively working on a project connected to their ongoing work that engages both students and local community members and:
- Sharing their social innovation model, strategies, and lessons learned;
- Demonstrating how systems thinking can inform sustainable change;
- Leading cohort discussions, workshops, class visits, experiential learning, or research projects;
- Exploring future partnerships and collaborative opportunities beyond the residency.
Residency Structure
- Spring/Summer 2026: Planning meetings and introductory campus visit
- Fall or Spring Semester of the 2026–27 Academic Year: 7-week in-person residency in º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁϳԹÏ, Iowa
- During this time, the Innovator will engage in campus programming and work on a project tied to their social innovation work that actively involves students and members of the º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï community
- Spring 2027 (optional): Short follow-up visit to continue collaborative work
- Housing: Furnished apartment on campus will be provided.
Budget and Funding
The Social Innovator in Residence will receive a combination of award, compensation, and operational support:
Award: $30,000
This honorarium is awarded at the start of the residency in recognition of the Innovator’s accomplishments to date.
Stipend: $20,000
Compensation for work completed during the 7-week residency, as outlined in the contract.
Operating Funds: $20,000–$25,000
These funds support mutually beneficial activities outlined in the resident’s contract. This may include the Innovator’s project, events, travel, materials, and community engagement efforts.
Please note: The resident will be responsible for their own health insurance and general living expenses.
Applicant Evaluation Criteria
2026–2027 Thematic Focus: Sustainability
The theme for the 2026–2027 residency is Sustainability, interpreted in its broadest sense. Applicants are encouraged to define and connect this theme to their own area of work—whether environmental, economic, cultural, social, or organizational sustainability. Please clearly articulate how your work aligns with and advances this theme.
Connection to Rural Iowa
º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï is located in a rural community in central Iowa. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a meaningful connection between their work and º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁϳԹÏ’s rural context. This could include engagement with rural communities, responsiveness to rural-specific challenges, or opportunities for place-based learning and impact.
Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to:
- Address a clearly defined social or environmental challenge through an innovative model that is:
- Systemic in scope
- Designed to address immediate and long-term structural transformation
- Solutions oriented toward sustainability and/or scalability
- Processes rooted in community agency, especially among those most impacted by the issue
- Demonstrably effective and positioned for future impact
- Clearly articulate how they will:
- Mentor and engage students in meaningful ways
- Incorporate students into their work or learning model
- Benefit from time for reflection and respite
- Leverage º£½ÇÉçÇøºÚÁϳԹÏ’s people and resources to advance their mission and the civic purpose of higher education
Important Dates
| August 11, 2025 |
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| October 10, 2025 |
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| November 3, 2025 |
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| November 10-21, 2025 |
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| November 21, 2025 |
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| Mid February 2026 |
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| Mid March 2026 |
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| Late Spring 2026 |
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Application Process
We recommend preparing your materials in a separate document before submitting your online application. A Word version of the application form is available to help you prepare:
Required Materials:
- Responses to all application essay questions
- A brief summary of what students might learn from you
- A description of your goals for the residency
- A current resume or CV (maximum three pages)
- A list of educational presentations, workshops, or trainings you’ve led related to your innovation work
- Up to five links to articles or media coverage about your work
- Up to five video links related to your work
- Up to five photos with brief descriptions to help tell your story
- Contact information for three professional references who can speak to your work and your fit for this residency
Due Diligence Materials Required from Finalists:
Finalists will be asked to submit the following by November 21, 2025:
- Professional letters of support (to be submitted by references) 
- Background check consent forms
- Organization financial documents (for newer organizations or individuals not connected to an organization, please contact noltonvi@grinnell.edu for alternative documentation)
- IRS Form 990's (or equivalent for your country of work)
- Most recent independent audit of financial statements
- Most recent annual reports for two years (pdf version)
Tips for Applicants
- We strongly recommend developing your responses in Word or Google Docs first, then copying them into the application form.
- Make sure your application highlights both the depth of your work and your commitment to engaging students and the local community through a collaborative project.
Applicants will be disqualified from the selection process if:
- there is sufficient cause to believe that the applicant has falsified information in their application and/or through due diligence research of the applicant
- the applicant advances to the semi-finalist and/or finalist round of selection and fails to provide additional information requested by the selection committee and by the deadline provided
- the applicant advances to the finalist round of selection and does not consent to a criminal background check
- the applicant and/or their organization participates in significant proselytization or substantial lobbying
- the applicant and their work do not meet the selection criteria for social innovation that approaches complex problems in a systemic, sustainable, and equitable manner and addresses the root causes of the issues rather than only the surface symptoms of the issue
Questions?
Please contact Vicki Nolton at noltonvi@grinnell.edu or (641) 269–4940 with any questions about the program or application process.