Funding for Student-Led Well-being Events

Criteria and how to apply

Created by generous donations from HMS alumni and the Aesculapian Club, the HMS Student Maxi Well-being Fund supports new endeavors that engage and inspire the student community in healthy habits and foster resilience.

 Eligibility

• All HMS and HSDM students enrolled in Pathways and HST programs are eligible.
• Students may apply more than once, but priority will be given to new student projects.
• Priority will be placed on new ideas and programming.
• Longitudinal events (6-12 months) are not guaranteed to be renewed or approved.
• This is meant to provide funds to support a student wellbeing need that has been identified and cannot be applied to provide financial support to existing programming and events.
• Student groups recognized by Student Council should seek funds from Student Council. Maxi Funds cannot be used to supplement Student Group funds or to support its programming.

Amount and Timing

Fund awards ranging from $250 to $2,000 are awarded on a monthly basis. Selected proposals may be offered partial or complete funding.

Well-being Fund Cycle

• Funds will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
• Apply by the last business day of the month.
• Your application will be reviewed, and your notification letter will be sent by the 15th of the following month (for example, if you are planning an event for late May or early June, apply by the end of April and can expect your notification letter by mid-May).

Selection Process

Proposals will be reviewed by the Office of Student Affairs at HMS and PME Finance after the monthly due date.

Selection Factors

• Addresses a demonstrated student well-being need.
• Demonstrates collaboration across HMS programs and phase (Preclerkship, PCE, Post-PCE) of the curriculum.
• Employs innovative ideas and methods.
• Describes the intervention’s anticipated impact.
• Includes metrics to measure the intervention’s effectiveness.
• Includes a proposed budget.
• Feasibility of implementation.
• Equitable award consideration across HMS programs and phases of the curriculum.

If Selected:

• All Maxi Fund recipients will be notified via email and receive an award letter that must be signed and returned.
• A meeting must be had with PME Finance to ensure all Maxi Funds are spent adhering to university policies and best practices.

Event Examples

View Maxi Fund proposal examples (requires HarvardKey authentication). 

How to Apply

Application form

For more information on HMS Student Maxi Well-being Fund and the application process, students should reach out to the Assistant Director of Student Affairs.

Payment and Reimbursement

How to Pay

• Use Harvard’s tax-exempt forms when you make your purchases
• Students will be reimbursed for costs
• Retain all receipts to receive reimbursement including itemized receipts and proof of payment
• It is the responsibility of the student to let OSA know if any approved funds were not used
• If any part of the purchasing and reimbursement process creates a financial barrier, reach out to OSA

Reimbursement Process

Step 1: Create a Buy2Pay (B2P) profile

• A Supplier Portal Invite will be sent to you when you receive approval for your application. We advise completing your profile as soon as possible since it can take 1-2 weeks for set up to be completed. By completing your profile prior to your event, it will reduce the processing time of your reimbursement.
• For assistance, contact the Student Affairs Coordinator

Step 2: Complete Nonemployee Reimbursement Form (NERF)

• This form will need to include the following items: your contact information, Harvard ID, a clear business purpose (who, what, when, where, why), the Maxi-project number, and an e-signature. Please remember the total to be reimbursed cannot exceed the amount approved in your application.
• You must use a digital signature for your form to be accepted by Accounts Payable.

Step 3: Submit materials for reimbursement

• Consolidate all itemized receipts with proof of purchase and your non-employee reimbursement form (NERF) into one PDF attachment
• Send all reimbursement materials, plus event summary and pictures, to the Student Affairs Coordinator or the Assistant Director of Student Affairs
• If sufficient back up documentation is not provided including itemized receipts and proof of payment, reimbursement cannot be processed

While we aim to process reimbursements in a timely manner, please note that reimbursements can take up to 90 days.

Criteria and how to apply

Eligibility

The following criteria will be used in determining if a student is eligible for the program:

• Any student enrolled in the MD Program at HMS is eligible to apply for the program.
• Any Pre-PCE HSDM student is also eligible to apply.
• Students are eligible to have either one application funded or participate in a group activity organized by another student per academic year (between Sept 5, 2024- May 31, 2025).
• Only one group activity for the same students can be approved. All attendees of the same event count as co-applicants. Once an application has been approved for funding, the student is no longer eligible to apply for additional funds that academic year. Any exception to this must be approved by the Office of Student Affairs in advance.
• Student groups recognized by Student Council should seek funds from Student Council. Community Connections Funds cannot be used to supplement Student Group funds or to support its programming.

Criteria for Funding

The following criteria will be used in determining if your application will be approved for funding:

1. Approved applications are eligible for up to $100 to promote community connections and bring smaller groups of students together.
2. Activities should include at least four (4) students at minimum.
3. Only One application can be submitted for the same event (specifically, other participants of the same event cannot apply to request funds for the same event).
4. Application must be submitted at least two weeks before the event/activity date. Applications submitted after this are subject to denial.
5. Application promotes well-being and clearly explains why this activity is aligned with the purpose of the program.
6. Events and activities that promote cross-class year socialization are highly encouraged.
7. Funds cannot be used for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, overnight lodging, mileage, and/or car rentals.
8. Funds cannot be used for the purchase of gifts and/or gift cards, and donations or fundraising.
9. Funds cannot be used for purchase of Boston Symphony Orchestra tickets when the BSO medical card program is in effect.
10. OSA reserves the right to ask for items purchased with these funds to be returned to OSA for future student use.
11. Activities that present a risk of injury to self or others may require students to complete a waiver or release of liability form that must be completed and submitted to OSA in advance of the event (e.g. hiking, sailing/kayaking, biking etc.)

Application approval is at the discretion of the Office of Student Affairs and subject to sufficient fund availability.

Event Examples

Types of approved events/activities:

• A book club with funding being used to purchase books and snacks for meetings
• A group cooking class
• Yoga class with a group of classmates
• Group hiking, kayaking or other wellness excursion
• Art supplies for a paint night
• Community dinner with classmates from your PCE site

Types of events/activities that will not be approved:

• Birthday parties or private group celebrations/meals in a restaurant
• Events centered around alcohol

How to Apply

• An application must be submitted electronically via the Application Form.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by OSA.

For more information on the Community Connections Mini Funds and the application process, students should reach out to the Events and Student Life Manager.

Payment and reimbursement

How To Pay

• Use Harvard’s tax-exempt forms when you make your purchases
• Students will be reimbursed for costs up to $100
• Retain all receipts to receive reimbursement, including itemized receipts and proof of payment.
• It is the responsibility of the student to let OSA know if any approved funds were not used.
• If any part of the purchasing and reimbursement process creates a financial barrier, reach out to OSA

Reimbursement Process

Step 1: Create a Buy2Pay (B2P) profile

• A Supplier Portal Invite will be sent to you when you receive approval for your application. We advise completing your profile as soon as possible since it can take 1-2 weeks for set up to be completed. By completing your profile prior to your event, it will reduce the processing time of your reimbursement.
• For assistance, contact the Student Affairs Coordinator.

Step 2: Complete Nonemployee Reimbursement Form (NERF)

• This form will need to include the following items: Your contact information, Harvard ID, a clear business purpose (who, what, when, where, why), a list of participants and an e-signature. Please remember the total to be reimbursed cannot exceed $100.
• You must use a digital signature for your form to be accepted by Accounts Payable.

Step 3: Submit materials for reimbursement

• Consolidate all itemized receipts with proof of purchase and your non-employee reimbursement form (NERF) into one PDF attachment
• Send all reimbursement materials, plus event summary and pictures, to the Student Affairs Coordinator or the Events and Student Life Manager
• If sufficient back up documentation is not provided including itemized receipts and proof of payment, reimbursement cannot be processed

While we aim to process reimbursements in a timely manner, please note that reimbursements can take up to 90 days.