President MacKinnon: Apply now for 2026 Go Grants

Central Michigan University students, faculty and staff will once again have an opportunity to apply for one-time funding for their creative ideas and projects through the Go Grants Initiative.

“It is clear that last year’s recipients have done exciting and valuable work that moves CMU closer to achieving the goals of our strategic plan. It’s clear that the very best ideas for CMU are coming from our faculty, staff and students” MacKinnon said. “I am thrilled to announce that CMU will fund a second round of Go Grants this year. Let’s build on our momentum and get more students, faculty and staff involved!”

The application window opened at 4 p.m. today following MacKinnon’s remarks and will remain open to receive submissions until 5 p.m. March 17, 2026, said Joe Garrison, university budget officer and assistant to the president for strategic planning.

Apply for a Go Grant

Grants for the 2026 cycle will range from $3,000 to $25,000 and will come from a one-time funding pool of approximately $250,000, Garrison said. Students, faculty, staff and community partners must demonstrate that their project supports one or more of the university’s four strategic plan priorities.

In addition, some of the 2025 Go Grant recipients will be eligible to apply for a Keep Going! grant, which will allow groups to continue efforts that began in the last award cycle.

As in 2025, the 2026 submissions will be reviewed by CMU’s Budget Priorities Committee, who will make recommendations to members of the Strategic Planning convener’s group. 

Symposium highlights successes, lessons learned

The inaugural Go Grant Symposium featured panel discussions, short video presentations, performances, and interactive poster displays from the 2025 Go Grant Recipients.

Panel discussions highlighted the work of a dozen Go Grants, covering topics such as faculty and staff development, student development, belonging and success, community outreach and engagement, and more. Moderators engaged panels of students, faculty and staff members in conversations about lessons learned, surprises along the way, and what they were able to achieve with the funding.

As part of the “Music in Our Communities” Go Grant presentation, members of the CMU String Quartet, all students in the School of Music, performed two songs they’ve been taking on the road to communities in northern Michigan.

Over a dozen Go Grant recipients shared their work with an interactive poster display, answering questions and sharing updates on their grant progress. Guests even had the opportunity to create a special souvenir using one of the university’s 3D printers, part of another Go Grant project.

Symposium attendees also watched video highlights of Go Grant projects including a drone video competition for high school students, a student produced CMU-themed song, enhancements to the Student Activity Center to increase accessibility, and the student-led speaker series in the InSciTE program.

“Since the launch of Go Grants, I have witnessed CMU students, faculty and staff demonstrate their creativity, passion and dedication – all to improve CMU,” MacKinnon said. “Recipients are taking action to move our university forward in tangible ways.”

Applying for a 2026 Go Grant

Individuals and groups can now apply for the second round of Go Grants using an online submission form, Garrison said.

He said applicants must be able to connect their project to one or more of the four priorities of the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, and certain types of requests, such as applications for course release time or research proposals, are not eligible.

“Last year, we received 133 submissions for Go Grants,” MacKinnon said. “Let’s break that record this year.”

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, 2026, for consideration. 

“We are looking forward to seeing all the new ideas our community has to keep up the momentum on our strategic plan and to keep making a powerful positive difference for our students and the communities we serve,” Garrison said.