Curricular Innovation Grant

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Curricular Innovation Grant  

Call for Proposals  

Summer 2024  

The Dean’s office invites proposals for summer projects that will generate impactful, collaborative, and interdisciplinary curricular innovations (hereafter, “curricular innovations”). Through donor generosity, we will provide financial support to chosen proposals to allow participants to explore, study, design, and plan curricular innovations, starting in summer 2024. Curricular innovations may include efforts such as new majors, interdisciplinary minors, new “tracks” or “clusters,” skill development programs, academic restructuring, or reorganizing, and other related ideas.  

Each proposal should involve a minimum of three faculty/staff members who represent at least two different departments or programs. Project lead must be a faculty member. Our expectation is that most of the groundwork on these efforts will occur during the summer. Work may extend into the 2024-2025 academic year if summer projects lead to curriculum proposals to be shared with the Academic Affairs Committee, Academic Planning Committee, and other administrative/governance groups.  

As with other recent initiatives, we are aiming to increase enrollment, improve retention, and increase our institutional profile/reputation, while honoring our liberal arts mission and learning goals. All curricular innovations should aim to be resource neutral in terms of instructional (faculty-staff) lines although the curricular innovation may need additional resources (such as funding for experiential learning, physical space, additional training, travel and research costs, etc.). 

In addition, your potential curricular innovations should embody two or more of the following characteristics:  

  • Create opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching 

  • Foster curricular collaborations  

  • Expand curriculum with a focus on diversity and belonging and/or social or environmental justice 

  • Articulate clear career pathways and opportunities  

  • Build on current strengths while creating new opportunities for distinctive teaching and deeper learning 

  • Lead to the creation of signature programming that differentiates SLU from other residential liberal arts colleges 

  • Increase use of SLU’s location, physical spaces, extended campus 

  • Make use of opportunities made possible by emerging technologies 

Proposals for exploring curricular innovations should be organized as follows:  

  • Title 

  • Project Collaborators (and project leader for correspondence) 

  • 50-word summary/abstract 

  • Rationale, need, and/or purpose for exploring the curricular innovation 

  • Objectives/Goals of the summer project  

  • Objectives/goals could include description of expected final curricular innovation and which characteristics from above will be embodied in the innovation.  

  • Objective/goals should make clear whether proposed curricular innovation adds or replaces existing curricular offerings  

  • Proposed Activities, with estimated itemized budget (** See note below.)  

  • Proposed timeline for implementation  

How to Apply: Complete online application to submit proposals. Note there are word limits built into some parts of the application.  

Selection Process: Members of the Faculty Development Committee will review proposals and make final decisions on awards.  

Applications must be submitted for review by June 3, 2024, at noon. Questions should be directed to Ronnie Olesker (rolesker@stlawu.edu). The number of awards will depend on available resources and the quantity and quality of proposals received. Our current expectation is that the Innovation Fund will support as many as 4 or 5 major proposals for amounts up to $6,000. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by June 12th. 

** Examples of qualified expenses: 

Meals/catering 

Faculty and/or academic support staff stipends for summer work (no more than $1000 per person) 

Honoraria for external collaborators  

Materials, books, and supplies  

Memberships 

Conferences/webinars/training for participants (not covered by other faculty travel or small/mini grants) 

Successful applicants must submit a report to Academic Affairs office on or before August 21st. Your report should include the following:  

Summary of your original proposal (1 paragraph) 

Goals of your project (enumerated) 

Description of process and summer work (no more than 500 words) 

Outcomes (no more than 250 words) 

Potential Impact (no more than 250 words) 

Future plans (no more than 250 words)  

August reports should be no longer than 2000 words.  

If your work continues into the fall, we ask that you submit a final report, similar in structure to the August report, on or before November 15th.