The MCAA Career Development Committee gives out students chapter grants annually. These grants benefit MCAA student chapters by helping them to fund activities that attract more student members. At least 50 percent of these funds are to be allocated specifically to scholarships for student chapter members.
- Grant request applications and selection criteria can be obtained by interested chapters, starting in January each year, with a submission deadline of April 15 of the grant year.
- Faculty advisors submit grants on behalf of their chapters (both grants applied for and won are noted in advisor's tenure file).
- The committee evaluates the grant requests and notifies applicants of the awards by mid-June.
- The committee allocates and distributes the funds by mid-August of each year.
Chapter of Excellence Grants
Chapter of Excellence Grants reward student chapters for extraordinary performance and accomplishment during the prior year AND encourage their continued growth and development. To be eligible, chapters must have been chartered for at least one year. Information requested includes:
- Faculty advisor(s) name(s)
- Names and titles of chapter officers
- Number of chapter members
- Attendance at MCAA local association meetings during the year
- Special projects, activities, and accomplishments of the chapter during the year
- Number of chapter members who have been offered summer internships with mechanical contractors
- Number of chapter members who obtained (or who have been offered) full-time positions with mechanical contractors
- A brief description (>100 words) of how the chapter plans to use the grant
Grant requests are evaluated by the Career Development Committee according to criteria, which include: governance; communication; community service; career development; competition participation; membership; fundraising; field trips; internships; and employment. Scores are assigned to each criterion. Grants are awarded to the chapters whose requests receive the highest scores.
Emerging Chapter Grants
Emerging Chapter Grants are for MCAA student chapters that are forming, newly chartered, or are having difficulty staying viable. No more than a total of three annual grants will be awarded to any chapter. To be eligible, chapters may be one of the following:
- Designated to be chartered at the next MCAA convention, or
- Chartered within the previous two years and have no local MCAA association sponsor, or
- Chartered within the previous two yeas and have less than 10 members.
- Have not applied for a Chapter of Excellence Grant for the same grant period.
Information requested includes:
- Faculty advisor(s) name(s)
- Names and titles of chapter officers
- Number of chapter members
- Attendance at MCAA local association meetings during the year
- Special projects, activities, and accomplishments of the chapter during the year
- Number of chapter members who have been offered summer internships with mechanical contractors
- Number of chapter members who obtained (or who have been offered) full-time positions with mechanical contractors
- A brief description (>100 words) of how the chapter plans to use the grant
Grant requests are evaluated by the Career Development Committee based on the: completeness of the application information; chapter's viability; proposal for use of the grant; and assessed need. Grants are awarded to the chapters whose requests have the highest scores.
