Funding for Events
Each year, the DSC is allocated a budget for student activities within the department. Last year, our budget each semester was just over $5,000. Most of these funds are spent to support recurring events and activities organized by the DSC, such as ice cream vouchers for the new student buddy program, the Town Halls, several department-wide parties, periodic all-student meetings, thesis grab bags and thesis throwdown prizes, thesis advice lunch, and the DUSP-wide picnic, among others. DSC funds also pay for communal goods for the Common Room (such as our new large fridge and shelves, cleaning supplies, power strips, etc.).
The remainder of the funds are allocated by DSC to student-organized activities on a rolling basis. We encourage your email submissions of requests for funding!
The number of DUSP students to whom the activity or event is targeted will be considered in DSC’s decision-making process (i.e., activities or other expenses involving or benefiting a greater percentage of DUSPers will in general be favored over activities of interest or relevance to only a small fraction of students). However, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Please note that the DSC cannot fund alcohol for events.
Past projects funded by the DSC have included:
Speaker series
Student dinners
Events with other departments in the School of Architecture and Planning, or across the Institute
Joint DSC-SCC events
Projects or events for DUSP student organizations
Department trips to Boston-area events
Study breaks
Social gatherings and community-building activities throughout the term
Application Form
To apply for funding, please email dsc@mit.edu with the following details:
1. What is the date of the event/project?
2. By what date do you require any DSC funds?
3. How much funding do you request from the DSC?
4. What is the total financial cost of your event or project?
5. Have you sought funding from any other sources? What was the outcome?
6. Describe specifically how funding from DSC will be used.
7. How will your event or project involve and benefit DUSP students?
8. Timeline for response from DSC
All funding requests received over the course of the previous week will be discussed and voted on at our weekly meeting, and requesters will be notified by the following day of the decision taken regarding their request. Please plan for this accordingly when submitting funding requests. Please note that, because funding requests are considered on a rolling basis, we advise you to submit a request as soon as you have the necessary information together even if the funds would not be needed until later in the semester.
FAQ
- To receive reimbursement for an approved event funded through DSC, submit receipts to the current treasurer.
- We cannot reimburse beyond the amount of funding approved through the funding request.
Contacting DSC
Your feedback on past DSC-funded or sponsored activities, as well as thoughts and ideas for how you would like to see our collective money spent (even if not yet at a funding request stage), are highly encouraged at any time. We are also happy to work with you to develop an idea into a funding proposal.