Overview
The American Medical Association (AMA) is proud to support local initiatives through its medical student leaders. The Section Involvement Grant (SIG) program is available to local campus section leaders at all medical schools to assist local AMA student recruitment and engagement efforts throughout the school year.
Local campus sections are eligible to apply for funding requests and may receive up to $1,500 per school year, with a maximum of $500 per application for recruitment and engagement activities, and $250 per application for community service activities and travel. Funding is intended to support local AMA initiatives and is not guaranteed; each application will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Types of grants
Recruitment
Recruitment grants support the efforts of a local AMA section, led by a medical student outreach leader, to recruit the incoming M1 class to join the AMA. These are typically most effective as the first event on campus at the start of the school year, from July through September. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Student organization fair or orientation event
- Lunch and learns or coffee chats
- AMA information session
Local sections may receive a maximum of $500 for recruitment.
Engagement or community service
Engagement grants are intended to energize, empower and support a local AMA section while focusing on topics important to the campus or community. Organize an activity that addresses topics relevant to public health, medical education, medical practice, patient safety or community outreach.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Lunchtime lecture on a public health topic
- White coat headshots for student members
- Social events such as a trivia night or speed networking
Community service grants can be used to support volunteer activities and initiatives to address the needs of the local community.
Examples include but are not limited to:
- Health equity workshops
- Care kit packing for people in need
- Transportation and supplies for volunteer efforts
Local sections may receive a maximum of $500 for engagement or community service, with no more than $250 per grant for community service.
Travel
Local AMA sections are eligible to apply for up to two travel grants per academic year, with a maximum of $250 per application. To receive a travel grant, each section must have already submitted a SIG application for a recruitment, engagement or community service event.
Travel grants may be applied toward the following AMA events:
- The Medical Student Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.
- The AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago
- The AMA Interim Meeting (location varies)
Local sections may receive a maximum of $500, with a maximum of $250 per grant, for travel.
How to apply
Requirements:
- Submit a Section Involvement Grant application sharing the following information:
- Contacts: Name and email of your campus section’s president, outreach leader and faculty advisor
- Event information: Date, location, guest speakers, other organizations you are partnering with, expected attendance and detailed description
- Funding details: Estimated costs for the event, the amount you are requesting through SIG, and any other sources of funding your local campus section will be requesting and/or has received
- Outreach: Plan for tracking attendance and using the MSOP Dashboard to invite non-member attendees to join the AMA
- Check information: Your campus section’s bank account name and mailing address for checks
- Be sure all recaps have been submitted from SIGs your campus section has previously received. New requests will not be reviewed if prior recaps are missing.
It is required to submit a brief recap within two weeks following the activity. Not completing this requirement may result in the loss of future funding opportunities for your campus section. Recaps from previously approved applications must be submitted before any other grant requests are reviewed. Additionally, in order to be considered for the Event of the Month and the Event of the Year, a recap must be submitted.
We strongly encourage campus section leaders to attend a SIG training and meet with their student outreach manager prior to applying. Email [email protected] for details on how to attend a training or meet with a student outreach manager.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact us at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Q: What type of event should I have on my campus?
A: Campus sections host many different types of successful and fun events using SIGs! Check out our SIG Event of the Month page for inspiration on a few impactful events campus sections have recently hosted. If you’re looking for additional ideas, get in touch with your campus section’s student outreach manager.
Q: How are grants awarded?
A: Local campus sections are eligible to receive up to $1,500 total in grant funding during the school year (up to $500 per application for recruitment and engagement activities, and up to $250 per application for community service activities and travel).
Once an activity/event has been determined by a local campus section, a student leader may apply for a SIG. Grants are awarded at the sole discretion of the AMA and are not a guaranteed source of funding. Each application is evaluated on an individual basis, and overall funds for each category are limited.
Students should be certain that their application is detailed, thoughtful, and has a clear plan to positively impact engagement and membership. Recaps for prior local campus section events should demonstrate a detailed overview of the impact the event has had on membership and engagement. We recommend students attend a SIG training to learn more.
Q: What is the timeline to apply?
A: Students should submit the grant application six to eight weeks prior to the activity date. If approved, the check will be distributed approximately four to six weeks from the time the submitter is notified of grant approval.
Students who apply less than six weeks before the activity date should not expect to receive their check before the activity, but are still encouraged to apply. If you are applying outside of the recommended six-to-eight week timeline, please note:
- You should schedule a meeting with the AMA’s student outreach manager for your campus section.
- If you apply within two weeks of your activity date, you may not receive a response before your activity. Grant funding is not guaranteed. If your local campus section chooses to proceed without written notification of grant approval, please know that it’s possible you may not receive funding and your local campus section should have an alternate plan to cover costs.
Q: How do I know if my grant application has been approved?
A: If your grant application has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email from [email protected]. The confirmation email will detail the amount of grant funding for which you have been approved, as well as the mailing address where the check will be sent.
Q: What if I have NOT been notified that my grant application has been approved?
A: If you have not received an email from the AMA confirming your grant has been approved, that means a decision has not yet been made about your grant application. If your event date is approaching, please reach out to your student outreach manager.
Grant funding is not guaranteed. If you do not receive a written decision about your grant application before your event date, please know that it’s possible you may not receive funding and you should have an alternate plan to cover costs.
Q: What might impact my campus section’s eligibility for a SIG?
A: An important requirement of SIGs is submission of a grant recap after the event. Recaps from previously approved grant applications for your campus section must be submitted before any other grant requests are reviewed.
Overall funding for grants are limited. Applications and event plans should be detailed, thoughtful, and have a clear plan to positively impact engagement and membership.
Q: Who is the check made payable to?
A: Checks are made payable directly to the student’s medical school AMA campus section: “SCHOOL NAME AMA-MSS.” The AMA cannot make checks payable directly to individuals. Work with your section treasurer and/or student affairs office to discuss distribution of funds, and to make sure that you have correct information on the name of the bank account and address for where the check will be sent when submitting your grant. For example:
SCHOOL NAME AMA-MSS
Student name
Address line 1
Address line 2
Once the check is received, please take action to deposit or cash the check within 30 days to allow us to quickly resolve any issues that may arise with payment.
Q: Where should the check be mailed?
A: Checks should be mailed to either the student applicant’s address (preferred) or directly to the medical school. When sending checks directly to a school, there is a higher likelihood of checks getting lost on campus if they are not directly addressed to someone. If mailing to your campus, please include a faculty or staff member’s name and office number in the mailing address, and communicate to the faculty or staff member that you are expecting a check.
Q: When can I expect to receive the check?
A: Once a grant is approved, the check will be distributed in approximately four to six weeks from the time the submitter is notified of grant approval. If you do not receive your check in this timeframe, please contact [email protected] for assistance. If there are any issues with the check or the bank, including cashing or depositing the check, please notify the AMA within 90 days at [email protected].
Q: I didn’t receive my check, what happened?
A: If you’ve been approved for a grant and have not received your check within this timeframe, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Q: Is grant funding guaranteed?
A: The SIG program is designed to support local AMA initiatives on campus and is not expected to fully fund activities. Funding requests for activities are not guaranteed and each application will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students are highly encouraged to seek funding from multiple sources (student activities office, student government, state or local society, etc.) to reach funding goals/needs.
Q: What are some activities that grant funding cannot be used for?
A: The SIG is unable to provide funding for the following activities (but not limited to): Raffle items of any kind, purchase of AMA membership, donation matching, monetary incentives (cash or otherwise) for event participation, alcohol, events/activities in violation of the AMA Code of Conduct, gift cards/gifts exceeding in $5.00 value per event/activity attendee.
Q: Is grant funding available for reimbursement?
A: The application for grant funding must be submitted in advance of the event or initiative. Travel funding applications must be submitted and approved before the event. Students should not apply for funding after an event has already taken place.
Grant funding is not guaranteed. If you do not receive a decision about your grant application before your event date, please know that it’s possible you may not receive funding and you should have an alternate plan to cover costs.
Q: Can my campus section apply for multiple SIGs at the same time?
Yes, your campus section can submit multiple SIG applications at the same time. However, they may not all be reviewed at the same time. Your local campus section will also need to submit recaps within the required two-week timeframe. For example, if your campus section submits grant applications for your August activity fair, travel to the November AMA Interim Meeting, and your March campus section meeting, each subsequent application will not be reviewed until the recap for the previous event has been received.
Q: Is there an option to receive additional funding for my local campus section?
A: Throughout the year, opportunities may arise for local campus sections to earn additional funding for strong student member recruitment (one example is the Race to Recruitment!). Your section’s outreach leader will receive more information about these opportunities from the Medical Student Outreach Program (MSOP) team. Don’t forget to monitor your progress towards commissions in the MSOP Dashboard. While SIG funding is limited, commission funding is based on the success in recruiting M1 student members.
Q: Can I request funding for travel to AMA events?
A: Yes! Your campus section can apply for up to two grants of $250.00 each for travel to AMA events. To apply for a grant for travel, you must have previously submitted an application for a recruitment, engagement, or community service activity. Please note that overall travel funding is limited and subject to changes by the AMA.
Q: Can I use the AMA name and logo for my event?
- Use of AMA name/logo approval: Use of the AMA name and/or logo for policy, advocacy or education events must be preapproved in writing by the AMA. This preapproval requirement extends to the use of the AMA local campus section name (Medical School, Local Campus Section or Local Campus Section, Medical School). Use of commission payments from the AMA or AMA Section Involvement Grant funding does not supersede the need for approval of AMA name and logo use.
Approval process: To seek approval for the use of the AMA name and/or logo in conjunction with an AMA local campus policy, advocacy or education events, please send the required information through this form no later than three weeks before the event.
- Date of event
- Title of event
- Sponsors (and any co-sponsors) of event
- Target audience for event
- Event speakers
If approval to use the AMA name and/or logo has not been given, the AMA may require immediate removal of the name and logo from all materials related to the event.
- Event guidelines: Before planning an event related to policy, advocacy or education, students should be familiar with the AMA’s most recent actions and statements and align their event accordingly. Events that are held at local campus sections that are not aligned with current AMA policy may be asked to remove the AMA name and/or logo.
Q: What if I receive a media request regarding my event?
A: Any anticipated media-related activities that may be scheduled in conjunction with an AMA local campus section event must first be cleared by staff in AMA’s Media Relations Department. Please contact Shane McGoey, director of the Medical Student Section, at [email protected] to seek approval. Approval for this event, or use of commission payments from the AMA or AMA Section Involvement Grant funding, does not supersede the need for separate approval of media-related activities.
