Skip to main content

Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Janet McKinley '74 Family Grant

The Janet McKinley ’74 Family Grant is open to all Cornell sophomores for the purpose of assisting students in pursuing interesting, provocative, and entrepreneurial summer projects, with the intent of having a direct and lasting impact on many generations of Cornell students.

Application Instructions and Criteria

There are five sections to the application. Applications must be completed in full to be considered.  Applicants must be a member of the sophomore class at the time of application and in good academic standing. We understand that the numbers provided in the budget proposal are “best estimate” projections.

Application Sections

  1. Applicant Information
  2. Statement of Purpose (You will be instructed to upload an attachment, 4 pages maximum)
  3. Resume Upload (1 page)
  4. Letter of recommendation from a supervisor, staff or faculty member. They must be knowledgeable of the project, and be able to speak to the applicant's ability to successfully carry out the project. Letter of recommendation can be emailed to jj87@cornell.edu.
  5. Proposed Budget (1 page)
  6. To save and continue, user must return to the same computer and browser
  7. Have the statement of purpose prepared beforehand. Instructions are provided within the application.

All components of the application must be submitted by the stated deadline.

Electronic submissions must be in PDF format.

Notes Regarding Projects

Projects will be evaluated based on the merit of the project, the project’s proposed contribution to society, the creative and entrepreneurial nature of the proposal (not an already established internship), and the potential for development and enrichment of the applicant.

Applicants who exhibit the following are especially encouraged to apply:

  • Demonstrate entrepreneurial creativity
  • Demonstrate commitment to the public good
  • Have broad interests
  • Have made good use of past opportunities
  • Show promise of success in their chosen career field

Learn more about past projects.

Letters of recommendation should be emailed to: Jacinta Stark, jj87@cornell.edu

The application is available from now until March 4, 2024.   For information about the 2024 Janet McKinley ’74 Family Grant, please contact Jacinta Stark at jj87@cornell.edu