http://www.oup.org/programs/programs.asp

A powerful force for community revitalization is gaining momentum across the country: university-community partnerships. In growing numbers, institutions of higher education are collaborating with community groups to apply research, scholarship, and service to real-life problems. They are integrating such partnerships into their curriculum, academic studies, and student activities, making them part of their ongoing mission. America’s institutions of higher education have more intellectual talent than any other institutions in our society, and many of them are using these partnerships to tackle the complex socioeconomic issues facing the neighborhoods that surround them, such as poverty, joblessness, crime, and homelessness.

Recognizing the crucial role that America’s institutions of higher education can play in rebuilding communities large and small, HUD established the Office of University Partnerships (OUP) in 1994 to encourage and expand the efforts of institutions of higher education that are striving to make a difference in their communities through funding opportunities. Whether the institution has a venerable history of reaching out to lower income neighborhoods or is just beginning to explore the potential of such partnerships, OUP can help increase the scope, effectiveness, and sustainability of its community-building efforts.

The Office is responsible for running nine grant programs:

Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities
Community Outreach Partnership Centers Program
Community Development Work Study Program
Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant Program
Early Doctoral Student Research Grant Program
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities Program
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program
Universities Rebuilding America Partnerships (URAP)