Practitioners in Action (PiA)

Fill out the Practitioners in Action (PiA) Application

Overview

The DePaul Migration Collaborative (DMC) invites applications for its inaugural Practitioners in Action (PiA) program. The PiA program brings experienced migration practitioners to DePaul University for short, intensive residencies designed to facilitate short-term sharing and application of innovative, field-tested approaches to today's challenges.

We select candidates with a proven knowledge base, practice model, tool, resource, or other approach that is ready for use or adaptation in the field. The residency is not intended to provide time to develop or complete a new project. Instead, it creates a focused opportunity for practitioners to disseminate and share what they have learned and developed. It is an opportunity to explore how their approaches might be adapted to address local needs.

This practice-focused model will take place through in-person workshops, trainings, presentations, teach-ins, and collaborative engagement. Practitioners will share practical strategies with students and faculty, nonprofit organizations, legal service providers, community partners and other stakeholders. The residency will create opportunities for practitioners and partners to learn through engagement and identify ways that existing models and tools can respond to urgent migration challenges.

For the 2026-2027 cohort, the DMC will select two Practitioners in Action for a short-term residency.

Practitioner Tracks

Applicants may apply to one of the following opportunities:

Practitioner in Action: Faith, Religion, and Migration
This residency is supported through the Vincentian Endowment Fund and seeks practitioners whose work engages faith communities, religious organizations, or faith-informed approaches to supporting migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers. Practitioners should bring an established model, tool, approach, or body of knowledge that can be shared with DePaul and community partners.

Practitioner in Action: Open Topics in Migration and Asylum
The second residency is open to practitioners working on pressing migration and asylum issues. The DMC is particularly interested in practitioners working on:

• Mental health support
• Language access
• Labor rights and workforce access
• Increasing access to legal representation
• Community organizing
• Immigration detention and alternatives to detention
• Other community-based support models

Applicants working on innovative approaches outside these areas are also encouraged to apply.

Residency Format

Practitioners will participate in a 2-3 week residency between September 2026 and March 2027. Exact dates will be determined collaboratively based on practitioner availability and program needs.

During the residency, practitioners will engage in activities such as:

• Public lectures or teach-ins
• Workshops and trainings for community partners
• Discussions with students and faculty
• Meetings with migration-serving organizations
• Collaborative sessions with DePaul Migration Collaborative faculty and staff
• Opportunities to share and adapt an existing practice model, tool, resource, or approach with DMC partners
• Development of practical tools or resources that can continue benefiting community partners and migrants after the residency

Prior to the start of the residency, the Practitioner in Action will work with DMC staff to plan, schedule and coordinate residency activities and review and finalize all teaching and training materials for dissemination.

The PiA will be responsible for submitting a final evaluation report within 30 days of completion of the residency that highlights the residency's accomplishments, identifies ways in which the PiA's model can be adapted to DMC audiences and includes recommendations for future use informed by the residency.

The residency is designed to facilitate knowledge transfer and rapid deployment of existing expertise. Practitioners should arrive with a substantially developed and field-tested model, tool, approach, or body of knowledge that can be shared with DePaul and community partners during the residency.

Funding

Each Practitioner in Action will receive:

• $3,500 honorarium
• Up to $2,000 in travel support (as needed)

Who Should Apply

The DMC welcomes applications from practitioners with significant experience serving migrant communities, including but not limited to professionals working in:

• Nonprofit organizations
• Community-based organizations
• Legal services
• Advocacy organizations
• Faith-based organizations
• Government agencies
• International organizations
• Journalism or storytelling
• Public health and mental health
• Education

Applicants should demonstrate a record of innovative practice, collaboration, and a commitment to improving outcomes for migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers.

Proposal Components

Applications should include:

• Contact information
• Resume or CV
• Brief professional biography
• A 2-3 page description of the proposed residency, including:
• The migration issue or area of expertise
• A description of the practice model, tool, approach, or body of knowledge the applicant has developed
• Evidence that the model, approach, or tool has been implemented and demonstrated to be effective in practice
• How the applicant proposes to share this existing expertise during the residency
• Proposed audiences and potential community partners
• Intended activities, such as workshops, trainings, presentations, or teach-ins
• Expected outcomes or deliverables
• How the residency will benefit migrants, DePaul students, faculty, and community partners
• Preferred residency dates and timeline of work
• Applicants are welcome, but not required, to submit supporting materials demonstrating the effectiveness or impact of their work, such as reports, publications, articles, evaluations, media coverage, or other documentation of the proposed model or approach.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Demonstrated expertise and experience
• Relevance to current migration challenges
• Potential impact on community partners and the DePaul community
• Quality and feasibility of proposed activities
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration
• Alignment with the mission of the DePaul Migration Collaborative

For the Faith, Religion, and Migration track, reviewers will also consider how the proposal engages faith communities or faith-informed approaches to migration.

Timeline

• Request for Proposals Released: August 17, 2026
• Application Deadline: September 18, 2026
• Award Notifications: October 1, 2026
• Residency Period: September 2026 - March 2027
• Final Materials Submitted: April 2027

Questions about the Practitioners in Action program may be directed to migration@depaul.edu.

General Residency FAQ