Community Impact Hubs + Champions

Recognize and support community and campus leaders and groups who advance community-engaged scholarship through effective partnerships—serving as conveners (hubs) or advocates (champions) for meaningful collaboration with demonstrated impact.

The CI Hubs & Champions Designation and Recognition Awards aim to:

• Recognize a network of Community Impact Hubs across Kansas that fosters collaboration between KU and local communities with demonstrated impact.
• Recognize Community Champions, including individual community stakeholders, faculty, staff, or students, who are meaningfully impacting Kansas communities and championing opportunities and connections for collaboration with KU.
• Reward innovative efforts that foster campus and community connections for shared learning and impact that amplify the public good.

A Community Impact Champion is an individual or group—either from KU or the broader community—who actively advocates for meaningful and impactful community-academic partnerships. KU Community Champions receive a one-time $1,000 recognition award. Designated CI Champions are eligible to apply for the Strategic Partnership Award to receive additional funding between $5,000 and $10,000 to support continued collaboration through a closed application process for a limited number of awards.

A Community Impact Champion may be nominated by others or through self-nomination. The Office of Community Impact will release a nomination form soon. Please check back for updates or contact the Office of Community Impact for more information.

KU Community Impact Hubs are designations awarded by the Office of Community Impact to recognize strong community-academic partnerships. A hub may be a group, coalition, or physical space that actively engages at least five community partners and two KU units in a collaborative effort or initiative with already demonstrated impact in and with communities. A designated Community Impact Hub may retain its designation over time by consistently demonstrating effectiveness in advancing community impact through sustained community-academic collaboration.

To receive the designation, collaborators must demonstrate effective partnership and a commitment to serving as an active convener for KU and community collaboration. Designated hubs receive a $5,000 recognition award and become eligible to apply for a Strategic Partnership Hub Award ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 through a closed application process.

The inaugural KU Community Impact Hubs for 2025–2026 have been designated by the Office of Community Impact. The focus of designation for some Hubs is to demonstrate an institutional commitment and recognition of key community-academic collaboratives experiencing funding uncertainties due to changes in federal funding. Aiding coalitions and other collaboratives in maintaining and leveraging resources is both impactful and beneficial to maintaining lasting community impacts.

To nominate a future community-academic collaboration for consideration as a Community Impact Hub, please contact the Office of Community Impact.