Funding available for student-led projects promoting dialogue, engagement across difference

President Alan Garber recently announced the availability of funding through the President’s Building Bridges Fund. Now in its second year, PBBF seeks to fund projects that foster a culture of pluralism on campus and enable students to develop the skills necessary to respect, relate, and cooperate across difference. Administered by Community and Campus Life, the fund is part of a larger, University-wide effort to foster dialogue and engagement across difference.

“At Harvard, our community is anchored in values that call us to listen with courage, speak with integrity, and honor the dignity of every person. The President’s Building Bridges Fund invites students to lead by example — to dream up and launch projects that make pluralism a living part of our campus each day,” said Sherri Ann Charleston, chief community and campus life officer, Harvard University. “I encourage all students to share ideas for projects that foster meaningful connections across differences, create opportunities for all to participate fully in the life of the University, and ensure nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and access for all across Harvard. By leading with community, we can shape a Harvard where each of us — and all of us — can truly thrive.”

The President’s Building Bridges Fund was established based upon the preliminary recommendations of both the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias and the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias. Those recommendations emphasized the need to provide more opportunities for building community across campus and highlighted the importance of engaging in productive dialogue on difficult topics.

Last year, four projects were funded through PBBF for the spring semester. These student-led projects took varying approaches to engaging students in meaningful conversations on challenging topics and creating frameworks for productive discussions.

This year, students may apply for a full year of grant funding to support the following:

– Building meaningful relationships between affinity groups whose interests or perspectives on important issues may diverge;

– Advancing intellectual excellence by listening deeply, navigating tension constructively, and fostering cooperation across differences to solve common problems;

– Acting against discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate;

– Fostering dialogue and engagement across differences on campus about interfaith or intercultural issues, or a combination of both.

Projects may take many different forms. Students may imagine events and activities that will be meaningful to themselves and to their fellow students. All projects should be focused on building cross-cutting community among students outside the classroom and enabling them to develop the skills necessary to respect, relate, and cooperate across difference.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30 and funding will be awarded in mid-November. Applicants may request up to $5,000 to be expended over the course of the 2025-26 academic year. Detailed information can be found on the President’s Building Bridges Fund website. Questions? Please contact: buildingbridgesfund@harvard.edu