Texas County Progress

The Official Publication of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas

County Improvement Project

by

Creating County Solutions

County Improvement Project Includes $20,000 Fellowship Award

2016 Applications Due June 1

cipbTexas counties face challenges emanating from budget constraints, an aging infrastructure, and a growing and diverse population.  Intertwined with these issues are opportunities presented by advances in technology and recent economic prosperity.  Texas county government is becoming an ever-increasingly complex world.  Yet, these conditions also provide county government advocates a chance to be innovative as they seek solutions.

In 2014, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, in partnership with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s V.G. Young Institute of County Government, launched the County Improvement Project (CIP), a fellowship program meant to stimulate ideas and encourage thoughtful answers to shared challenges.

 

County Improvement Project Objective

The objective of this project is to provide original research on issues facing counties, with the expectation that resulting studies may be utilized by policy-makers for the improvement of county operations.  Interest areas include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Technical
  • Management
  • Policy
  • Urban/Rural Issues
  • Economic Development
  • Intergovernmental Relations

 

Who Is Eligible?

Anyone interested in providing a thoughtful and researched solution to a challenge or opportunity facing counties is eligible to apply.

 

Fellowship Expectations

  • Produce an original study on the county government topic submitted in the proposal.
  • Present research findings as the keynote speaker during the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Annual Conference.
  • Supply a final written report.

The 2015 Fellowship was awarded to Dr. Mike Yawn, who will present his findings on Social Media and Smart Communities – A County Perspective during the Annual State Conference to be conducted Oct. 11-13 in Galveston.

 

How Do I Apply?

Research proposal applications will be available in early April at http://vgyi.tamu.edu.  All submissions should be made electronically to vgyi@ag.tamu.edu by noon on Wednesday, June 1, 2016. The selected V.G Young Institute Fellow will be notified by Aug. 15, 2016. The fellow will be publicly announced at the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Annual Conference.  The fellowship term runs Oct. 1, 2016, to Oct. 15, 2017.

 

V.G. Young Institute Fellowship Award

A $20,000 award will be made to the V.G. Young Institute Fellow.  Half of the award will be given when the fellow is publicly named.  The other half will be awarded upon submission of the final written report.