Instructional Improvement Grants
Call for Proposals
This CFP is also available in PDF format for printing.
Note: All applicants should carefully read the entire Call for Proposals below
before submitting a proposal.
2007-08 Call for Proposals to contents
Instructional Improvement Program
The Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, the Academic Senate Committee on Teaching, and the Center for Teaching Excellence are pleased to announce the availability of funds to seed instructional improvement initiatives at UCSC. This year a total of $90,000 will support innovation in undergraduate instruction.
The Instructional Improvement Program (IIP) seeks proposals for innovative projects that will enhance learning in undergraduate courses and become part of the regular UCSC curriculum. All full-time and part-time UCSC faculty and staff are eligible to apply for Instructional Improvement Grants, either as individuals or as groups.
Deadlines to contents top
Major Grants & Course Development Fellowships:
Jan. 31, 2008
Mini Grants:
May be submitted between Oct. 8, 2007 and May 5, 2008
Contents top
About Instructional Improvement Grants
2007-08 Grant Categories
2007-08 Key dates
Eligibility
Selection Criteria
Funding Restrictions
Important Information for Course Development Fellowships
Requesting equipment and materials
Guidelines for Developing your Proposal
Writing the assessment plan
Developing the budget
Technology projects
Notice to applicants
IIG Info sessions, contact info, and online resources
About Instructional Improvement Grants back to contents
top
The purpose of the Instructional Improvement Program is to encourage pedagogical experimentation and innovation, leading to enhancement of students’ learning. Projects may incorporate new technologies, new and more active roles for students, or a rethinking of traditional teaching practices. Projects funded with IIP grants must be focused on undergraduate teaching and learning, and are expected to have a long-term impact, becoming a part of the regular UCSC curriculum. Each project should include a plan for assessing the effectiveness of the experiment. Proposals will be evaluated in light of the three key elements: innovation, improvement in learning, and long-term impact. (for more detail about selection criteria.)
Innovation
A project is considered innovative if it provides a new approach to learning not previously tried in the course(s) in question, and/or if it will add to our collective understanding of teaching and learning. The proposed approach may be new to the discipline, to UCSC, to the department, or to the faculty member.
Improvement in Learning
Grants are expected to address a need or problem in undergraduate education at UCSC. This need should be focused on student learning, rather than simply on a department’s need to expand its curriculum. For instance, are there persistent learning problems in a particular course? Is this subject challenging to teach for some reason? Are certain skills not currently being addressed—e.g., writing, collaboration, problem-solving? Have changes in the discipline necessitated new approaches to learning?
Long-term Impact
Projects funded through the IIP are expected to have the potential for broad and/or long-lasting impact. It is hoped that successful improvements and innovations will be applicable to other courses and instructors. For this reason, dissemination of results is a high priorty. To improve long-term impact of these projects, successful applicants will be expected to assist with dissemination, through speaking at a CTE-sponsored colloquium, workshop or seminar, or contributing an article to a CTE publication.
2007-08 Program Key Dates back to contents top
October 8, 2007 |
Submission window opens for Mini-grant proposals |
January 31, 2008 |
Deadline for submission of Major Grant and CDF proposals |
April 1, 2008 |
Announcement of grant decisions |
May 5, 2008 |
Final date to submit Mini-grant proposals |
July 1, 2008 |
Effective date of 2007-08 Major and CDF grants |
June 30, 2009 |
Deadline for completing expenditures for Major & CDF grants |
October 1, 2009 |
Deadline for submission of Major Grant follow-up reports |
October 1, 2010 |
Deadline for submission of CDF follow-up reports |
2007-08 Grant Categories back to contents
top
Course Development Fellowships
One course release or equivalent summer compensation
Deadline for submission of proposals: 5 p.m., January 31, 2008
Funds available: July 1, 2008
Course Development Fellowships provide funds to cover one course release or an equivalent amount to be used for summer salary so that a grant recipient can focus on developing a new undergraduate course or significantly reworking an older one. These grants offer an opportunity to experiment, not just with new materials but also with new approaches to instruction. During the period of the grant, fellows participate in a colloquium to share projects, progress and results. After the newly developed course is offered for the first time, fellows will submit a portfolio describing and reflecting on their experiences teaching the course.
Forms and Instructions available here!
Major Grants back to contents
top Up to $15,000
Deadline for submission of proposals: 5 p.m., January 31, 2008
Funds available: July 1, 2008
Major grants provide seed funding to develop a variety of projects to improve students’ learning in undergraduate courses. These may include innovative uses of technology in instruction, reworking of course materials, or introduction of new learning activities for students. Collaborative projects are encouraged. Outcomes of these grants may be reported to the campus community through the CTE newsletter or by means of a presentation at a CTE-sponsored event.
Forms and Instructions available here!
Mini Grants back to contents
top Up to $2,000
Submission window: October 8, 2007 through May 5, 2008
Funds available: 4-6 weeks after application date
Mini-grants, available throughout the year while the Committee on Teaching is in session, support small-scale projects to improve undergraduate instruction. Course improvements, learning technology implementation, departmental retreats, and conference registration (where teaching and learning are primary conference topics) are all potentially eligible for mini-grant funding.
There is no limit to the number of separate mini-grant proposals one applicant may submit as long as total funding in 2007-08 does not exceed $2,000.
Summer Projects: Proposals for mini-grant projects to be undertaken in summer 2008 must also meet the May 5, 2008 deadline.
Examples of successful proposals in each category may be found at: www.ic.ucsc.edu/CTE/grant_proposals.html
Forms and Instructions available here!
Eligibility back to contents
top
All full-time and part-time UCSC faculty and staff may apply for Instructional Improvement Grants, either as individuals or groups. For collaborative applications, a Principal Applicant is to be designated. This person takes the lead in developing the project, preparing the proposal, implementing grant activities, and submitting the follow-up report. Because an explicit link with undergraduate instruction is a requirement for all grants, staff applicants are encouraged to collaborate with faculty in developing proposals. Graduate students who have an idea for a grant proposal may apply through a faculty sponsor. Graduate students and part-time faculty should address how the project will contribute to the long-term improvement of teaching and learning at UCSC following their departure. See funding restrictions for important additional information.
Selection Criteria back to contents
top Proposal development should be guided by the following criteria, used by the Committee on Teaching in evaluating proposals:
-
Does the proposal establish a clear need or problem in undergraduate instruction which the project would address?
-
Is the proposed project innovative in its approach to teaching and learning, or as a solution to the problem?
-
Does the proposal establish clear learning goals?
-
Does the proposal evidence an awareness of the learning process?
-
Does the proposal clearly describe a pedagogical approach appropriate to the stated learning goals?
-
Does the proposal include a specific plan to assess the project’s impact on student learning?
-
Does the project have potential for broad and/or long-lasting impact at UCSC?
-
Is the budget realistic and well-documented?
-
Has the applicant sought matching funds from other sources and detailed that support in the proposal?
Funding Restrictions back to contents top
The following are outside the guidelines of IIP and will not be considered for funding:
-
Supplies, materials, or equipment that are normally provided by the department or the division.
-
Ongoing support of existing programs.
-
Salary for instruction, including teaching assistants, course assistants, and lecturers.
-
Additional salary paid to an individual who is already employed full time.
- Projects or activities that:
- have no impact on undergraduate instruction.
- affect only a single course offering or academic year (e.g., guest lectures, field trips).
- fall within the normal expectations of the applicant’s job.
- are similar to others previously funded for the same applicant.
- Applications from individuals:
- who have not completed follow-up reports on previously funded projects.
- with missing or uncollectible narrative evaluations. (Exceptions made for legitimate extenuating circumstances.)
Important information for Course Development Fellowships
back to contents top
Course Development Fellowships consist either of course relief during the academic year or an equivalent amount to be used for summer salary. Faculty opting for funds for summer salary are subject to campus policies on total compensation allowed during the summer months (see APM 600). The amount a department receives for a course release or a faculty member receives for summer salary under a CDF depends on the department. Most departments will receive 1/8 of an Assistant Professor III salary; departments on the engineering or economics scale will receive 1/8 of an Assistant Professor II salary.
Requesting Equipment and Materials back to contents
top
If your Major Grant or Mini Grant project includes the purchase of equipment or materials, an additional application form may be required.
You must submit the Equipment and Materials Request form if your grant budget specifies the purchase of any tangible item with a useful life of 2 years or more and either (1) any individual item is valued at $500 or more, or (2) the total value of separate items is $1000 or more.
The equipment form and instructions may be found on the CTE Web site along with other application forms (URL). The form requests additional information about the equipment purchase, including an explanation of why the equipment is not included in the department’s instructional budget, and plans to house and maintain the equipment, how it will be made available to other instructors, and a plan for on-going maintenance and replacement costs.
In addition, be sure to address the following in your budget:
- Provide copies of catalog pages, quotes, or estimates for items you wish to purchase.
- Investigate whether the library or the university already owns the item(s) in question.
- Preview films before purchase. (This is a requirement of the Committee on Teaching.)
Note: COT looks more favorably on equipment requests that include matching funds provided by the department or division. (This is less important if the equipment will be for broad use by the campus, and housed in a central unit such as Media Services.) Remember, regular instructional materials normally provided by divisional instructional budgets are not eligible for IIP funding.
Guidelines for Proposal Development
The following guidelines are designed to help improve the success of proposals. Please call CTE for clarification on any of the points below.
Writing the Assessment Plan back to contents
top Because UCSC hopes to learn from each grant project, a good assessment plan is crucial to a successful proposal. The primary focus of the assessment should be on providing information about whether the funded innovation was successful in improving student learning.
A few suggestions for developing an assessment plan:
1. Begin with the learning goals identified in your project description. For each goal or objective, the course should include some means of assessing whether students have reached that goal, using one or more assignments, exams, etc. The outcomes from those student assessments can form the basis of your project assessment.
For example: If a goal of your project is to improve student use of library resources, you may wish to assess this through a research assignment. In assessing these assignments, you would ask the question: Have students used library resources effectively? A related question might be: Has the improved use of library resources led to better research projects? In your grant follow-up report you would report on the outcomes of these two questions.
2. You may include quantitative data, qualitative description, or a combination of these. The type of data gathered will vary depending on the type of project and the learning goals identified.
For example: In reporting the outcome of the hypothetical library resources project (see above), you might develop a 1-5 scale for rating the library resources aspect of the assignment, identifying specific criteria for the scale. You might report, for instance, “Students averaged 3.9 out of 5 on the library research portion of their research assignment, indicating a ‘proficient’ level.” Then, you might qualitatively describe the overall success of students’ research projects as compared to last year.
3. For some projects, comparative data will be helpful.
For example: If you are revising a previously taught course, you may be able to compare student performance/outcomes in the revised version to the previous version of the course. An alternative approach might be to assess students at the beginning of the course on key learning goals, and then assess them again at the end of the quarter to find out what changes have taken place.
Whether to include a comparative element in your assessment plan will depend on the type of project undertaken.
4. For some projects, a student survey may be appropriate as a companion to other assessment activities. This might be relevant if one of the project goals is to increase student engagement in or enjoyment of a course, or student motivation to continue with a particular course of study, or to find out which course improvements students found most helpful. You will need to write special survey questions targeting the specific information desired. A student survey should usually not be the primary assessment for a grant project.
5. The following are not considered appropriate as a primary project assessment, although they may sometimes be included as additional supporting information:
- Results of regular course/instructor evaluations
- Course enrollments
- Instructor or colleague appreciation/approval
- Anything not primarily focused on student learning
6. In writing the assessment plan for your proposal narrative, you should describe the types of assessments you will use in concrete terms, but you will not be expected to have them designed at a detailed level.
For example: For the library resources project example (see above), you might write the following description in your proposal narrative: “To assess this project we plan to gather information from the students’ final research projects. Students’ use of library resources will be assessed as a separate part of the assignment. Additionally, we will compare the overall quality of the research projects with those from the previous years’ courses. Finally, we will ask students to respond to questions about which exercises they found most helpful in teaching them to use library resources.”
If you would like assistance in developing assessments for specific learning goals, call the CTE Director at 459-5091. To see examples of previous grant assessment plans, see Other Grant Resources, and Samples of Successful Proposals or Tips for Writing a Strong Proposal.
Developing the Budget back to contents
top Grant budgets are expected to be detailed, showing exactly how all requested funds are to be spent. Research budget information carefully, and provide appropriate explanation in the budget narrative.
Consult with appropriate campus units as you develop your proposal to assist in identifying resources and developing a realistic budget. Offices that may be able to help include: FITC, Media Services, library, divisional computing coordinators, divisional human resources coordinators. Indicate in the budget narrative what individuals you have consulted in developing the budget. When purchasing materials, add 15% to cover tax and shipping, as necessary. For proposed hires, find out if any restrictions apply to the position you wish to create, and whether you need to include benefits. Be sure to read “Funding Restrictions” before developing the budget.
Technology Projects back to contents
top An IIP grant can be an excellent means of experimenting with new learning technologies. This may involve creating web-based instructional materials, incorporation of online student-student interaction, or use of classroom equipment. As with all IIP projects, the primary focus should be on how the proposed innovation will enhance students’ learning. In addition, please review these special considerations for technology projects:
-
Consult ahead of time with individuals on campus who will work with you to develop and/or implement the learning technology, such as staff at the FITC or within Media Services. Be sure to mention this collaboration in your proposal.
-
Consider the total support required for the lifetime of the project: Will it require a special server? Will it run on existing campus equipment? Are current campus units prepared to provide support and maintenance? Will it place any additional financial burden on students? Address any relevant issues in the proposal.
-
Keep in mind that COT looks more favorably on technology projects with strong potential for adoption by other faculty.
-
If your proposal includes the purchase of equipment, software, or other materials, be sure to read “Instructions for Equipment and Materials” carefully.
Notice to Grant Applicants back to contents
top All materials developed or obtained with Instructional Improvement Program funds become the property of the University of California. Books, slides, videos, CDs, DVDs, etc. must be housed in either McHenry or Science Library. They will be made available to grant recipients on a check-out basis. Other equipment is to be housed in the division or in a central campus service unit, as appropriate, so as to be available to all.
Consistent with the current practice of many funding agencies, successful proposals and all supporting materials become public documents.
IIG Info sessions, contact info, and online resources
back to contents
top
Grants funded in 2006-07
Register for Information Sessions
Contact CTE
