Instructional Excellence Grants

GRANT DEADLINES for 2007-2008:

• September 18, 2007, 5:00 pm
• January 23, 2008, 5:00 pm
• March 18, 2008, 5:00 pm (if there are any remaining funds), 5:00 pm

Submit one hard copy and one electronic copy of the proposal. The hard copy of the proposal (including the department head signature) must be received in School of Nursing via campus mail (Department #1051) designated for Janet Secrest (chairperson of Instructional Excellence Committee) by the 5:00 pm deadline.

The electronic copy (without a cover sheet) should be sent as a WORD or pdf attachment to the email account of Janet Secrest by 5:00 pm on the due date. In the subject heading of the email, type the words "IE proposal" and your name. The message box should include your name and the title of your proposal. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for this round of funding, but may be considered for subsequent rounds, as funding permits.

• Goals of the Instructional Excellence Grant Program
• Proposal Guidelines
• Proposal Forms
• Cover Sheet and Proposal Form in pdf format (You'll need Acrobat Reader.)
• Cover Sheet and Proposal Form in Word format
• Grant Evaluation Form in pdf format (You'll need Acrobat Reader.) (Grant evaluations are due 12 months after funding has been received. Delinquent evaluations may restrict future funding opportunities.)
• Grant Evaluation Form in Word format. (Grant evaluations are due 12 months after funding has been received. Delinquent evaluations may restrict future funding opportunities.)

Return to the main Instructional Excellence web page.

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Goals and Objectives for Instructional Excellence Grant Program

• directly improve instructional quality at UTC,
• assist faculty in developing teaching skills and maintain an enthusiasm for teaching, and
• provide opportunities for innovative curricular efforts.

Proposal Guidelines

Instructional Excellence Proposals must include a description of the project, which clearly defines the instructional enhancement or improvement anticipated; project goals and objectives; the methodology for achieving the proposed goals and objectives; how students will benefit and characterization of those students; a detailed budget; and a tentative time frame for completion of the project; and the proposed evaluation criteria and process. Group proposals must clearly describe the involvement of multiple instructors. Evaluations are required on all funded projects and are due 12 months after funding has been received. Delinquent evaluations may restrict future funding opportunities.

Specific judging criteria for the grants include the following:

• how the project proposes to encourage instructional excellence and how funding will impact and improve teaching and take it to a level of excellence,
• how solid the link between the problem and the means to solve that problem are (specific ways in which the described methodology will lead to improved teaching and excellence, and why the listed budget items are necessary to achieve the goals stated),
• the scope of the project and the number of students influenced by the project (how many students, how many classes are affected, how many majors are influenced),
• how the project takes advantage of current campus resources, complementing them versus duplicating them for convenience,
• ways in which the proposed project will be evaluated to see how it improved teaching, promoted excellence, and what other outcomes were realized.
• (Note: Video, print and other typical library resources purchased with Instructional Excellence Grant funds will be catalogued and housed in the Lupton Library collection to enhance and improve access to the resource material.)

The Instructional Excellence Grants program will fund conference registration and travel ONLY for a professional event with a theme specific to the teaching of an academic discipline, i.e., where the skills provided will promote excellence in teaching and can be implemented in specific classroom settings. If travel funds are requested, a copy of the meeting brochure, flyer or web site describing the conference must be included in the proposal request. Instructional Excellence Grants will be available to fund supplementary materials such as books and software necessary to attend professional development conferences and meetings. Grant funds most likely will not be awarded to fund ongoing/consumable classroom supplies and materials. Equipment will be considered only if a direct link to improving instruction is made in the project proposal.

Instructional Excellence Grants will not fund salary stipends, or reassigned (release) time, events that have already passed, sales tax on proposed purchases, ongoing/consumable classroom supplies and materials. In some cases, partial funding of a proposal may be applied. In general, Instructional Excellence Grants will not fund items that duplicate services, equipment, or facilities already available to faculty and students, or proposals related to program development (e.g., courses/curriculum must already be approved).

The grants program may, in some cases, offer partial funding.

Please be sure to complete each page of the application form.

Proposals are judged in a blind review by a broad-based, interdisciplinary committee.

Grant evaluations are due 12 months after funding has been received. Delinquent evaluations may restrict future funding opportunities.