Discovery Grants

Discovery Grants are designed to stimulate Rotary club and district participation in international service projects There are two funding mechanisms for Discovery Grants — Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants and SHARE-funded Discovery Grants. Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants provide up to US$3,000 and SHARE-funded grants provide up to US$5,000 to carry out the preliminary travel and planning necessary to develop an international service project.

Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants

Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants are made possible by a US$1 million endowment given to The Rotary Foundation by the late Carl P. Miller (Rotary International president, 1964-65) and his wife, Ruth. Because these grants are supported by endowment income, a limited number of applications can be funded. These competitive grants are awarded twice a year, with application submission deadlines of 1 July and 1 January for the 2000-01 Rotary year. Beginning with the 2001-02 Rotary year, the submission deadlines will change to 1 October and 1 April. In 1999-2000, 25 Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants totaling US$67,299 were awarded for the entire year.

Some examples of successful Carl P. Miller applications:

• The Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise, Malaysia, and the Rotary Club of Nilgiris West, India, were awarded a grant to plan for literacy and vocational training for tribal women in India.
• District 1670, France, and the Rotary Club of Niamey, Niger, were awarded a grant to plan for a literacy project and a cheese-making project in Niger.
• The Rotary Club of Mt. Coot-Tha, Australia, and the Rotary Club of Nuku Alofa, Tonga, were awarded a grant to provide the community with an earthquake disaster strategy in Tonga.

SHARE-Funded Discovery Grants

These grants have the same criteria as the Carl P. Miller Discovery Grants but are funded through the SHARE system using District Designated Funds. They are awarded continuously through the year on a non-competitive basis. An April 2000 decision by the Rotary Foundation Trustees increased the maximum amount of these grants from US$3,000 to US$5,000 effective May 2000. In 1999-2000, 71 SHARE-funded Discovery Grants were awarded for a value of US$180,273.

With the help of a SHARE-funded Discovery Grant, the Rotary Club of South Berwick, USA, and the Rotary Club of Cozumel, Mexico, were able to develop plans to provide a trash incinerator and environmental education program on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. Due to the fragile environment and limited supply of drinking water, a safe disposal system was urgently needed to accommodate the 1.5 million tourists that visited the island each year. The Discovery Grant team members were able to create a recycling, compost, and medical waste program as well as identify a site for a landfill. The two clubs are now working together to implement these programs.

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