Introduction

We think University EA Groups are incredibly valuable. However, we know starting one can feel like a difficult task. The University Group Accelerator Program (UGAP) is a remote program run by the Centre for Effective Altruism to help make starting new EA university groups easy and accessible.

<aside> 🎉 Applications for the next round of UGAP will open soon. Register here to be notified when you can apply!

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<aside> 📖 We are also looking for additional experienced organizers to serve as mentors. You can find out more about and express interest in becoming a UGAP mentor here.

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UGAP provides guidance and resources for running a new university group, including:

<aside> 💡 A sample game plan for your first semester

This game plan focuses on organizing your own introductory seminar program

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<aside> ✏️ Trainings and tools for organizers and facilitators

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<aside> 📖 A guide of helpful resources

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<aside> 💰 Funding for group expenses and Stipends for the main organizers

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<aside> 🙂 Regular meetings with an experienced mentor

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<aside> 🌴 [Tentatively] A retreat after completing your first semester

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Target Audience

The program is designed to work best for organizers who:

• Have engaged with high-quality EA ideas for at least 25 hours (e.g. completed an intro fellowship or equivalent) and are comfortable facilitating group discussions or could be with training
  • We want to encourage organizers to engage with EA concepts and ensure that students are interacting with quality programs at their universities. Therefore, we will be screening organizers for their familiarity with EA and potential for facilitating the type of difficult and high-level discussions that occur during an Intro Fellowship.
  • Information on how to become more familiar with EA

And are at groups that:

• Are either very new or trying to revive a pre-existing group
  • Most often with organizers that have never organized an intro fellowship by themselves
• Have at least two interested organizers where
  • Both:
    • Are willing to dedicate ~5-7 hours a week on your group
      • This would mostly be concentrated in the first few weeks of the semester

But we encourage anyone who is interested to apply! We have had a few successful instances of people starting a group without a co-organizer and encourage solo organizers to still apply (though we recommend looking for a co-organizer at the same time). If your group is more experienced, we will likely refer you to our Organizer Support Program.

We strongly encourage people to apply even if they are very unsure whether they meet the bar to be funded.