Provost Announces Spring 2018 Funding Opportunities for Faculty

The Office of the Provost has launched four Request for Proposals (RFPs) for funding opportunities for faculty who are looking to integrate new educational methods and technologies into their classrooms and learning environments. The four grant programs, including two new ones, range from support for curricular interventions at the school, department, or program level to awards for faculty who want to experiment with new pedagogical strategies.

Read an overview of the funding opportunities below and discover ways that faculty can receive support for designing their proposal through information sessions, workshops, consultations, and a new on-demand resource on blended learning offered by the Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).

Hybrid Learning Grants and Start Small! Mini-Grants

The Hybrid Learning Course Redesign and Delivery grant supports faculty who are developing innovative and technology-rich pedagogy and learning strategies in the classroom. Awardees will receive a grant ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, along with access to resources and support from the CTL for content development, instructional design, media production, software design, and assessment.

The new Start Small! Mini-Grants provide support to faculty who are interested in experimenting with one new pedagogical strategy or tool. Awardees will receive in-kind support from the CTL and receive up to $2,000 for a one-semester period.

The deadline for applications for the Hybrid Learning Course Redesign and Delivery grants and Start Small! Mini-Grants is Monday, April 16, 2018. More information on these RFPs is available here.

MOOCs and Large-Scale Teaching and Learning Grants

The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) grant program provides support for open online courses taught by Columbia faculty. Columbia courses offered through MOOC platforms continue to reach a large global learning community, promote public engagement, and make teaching and research activities at the University more visible. A limited number of grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded; accepted courses will receive hands-on support for instructional design and course production from the CTL.

Large-Scale Teaching and Learning Grants are designed to support efforts around teaching initiatives and exploration at the school, department, or program level. Awards provide up to $20,000 per academic year plus in-kind CTL support.   

The deadline for submission of applications to the MOOCs and Large-Scale Teaching and Learning grants is Monday, April 30, 2018. RFP details are available here.

Workshops, Consultations, and Resources

The CTL offers several ways for faculty to learn more information and receive support for designing their proposal through information sessions, workshops, consultations, and a new on-demand resource on blended learning. Faculty can learn more about previous successful projects and interact with awardees at the Celebration of Teaching & Learning Symposium to be held on Thursday, February 22 in Low Library. Register for the Symposium at: https://events.columbia.edu/go/2018cotl.

Town Hall Information Session: Wondering about the kinds of projects that are eligible for awards? Have a question about the different types of awards this year and which might be the best fit for your idea? Attend our Town Hall on Thursday, February 1 at 2:30 PM in Butler Library 212 to learn more about the RFPs and the application process.

• Time commitment: 1 hour
• Recommended for: All applicants
• Registration not required

Office Hours: Want some general feedback on your proposal draft? Drop in at our office hours on Friday, March 30, from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in Butler Library 212, and on April 6, 13, and 20 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM in Butler Library 204. We’ll have CTL staff on hand to give you feedback and help you work through elements of your draft. 

• Time commitment: 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Recommended for: New or returning applicants
• Registration not required

Consultations: Need some one-on-one help brainstorming your proposal ideas? Request a consultation with a CTL staff member by sending an email to ColumbiaCTL@columbia.edu.

• Time commitment: 30 minutes to one hour
• Recommended for: New or returning applicants
• Registration/appointment required

Course Redesign Workshop: Looking to get hands-on instruction designing your course for a Hybrid Learning Grant proposal? Register for our half-day Course Design Essentials for RFPs workshop on Friday, March 2 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in Butler Library 212.

• Time commitment: 3 hours plus lunch
• Recommended for: New applicants, applicants from Humanities, previous applicants whose proposals were not funded

• Registration required

Proposal Tune-Up Sessions: Need help tightening up your proposal draft, especially building out the assessment plan? Register for one of our Proposal Tune-Up Sessions on the Morningside campus (March 21) and at CUMC (March 27), where you’ll get an overview of assessment techniques and feedback what might work best for you.

• Time commitment: 90 minutes
• Recommended for: All applicants
• Registration required

On-demand Resource: What is blended learning? What are the benefits to a blended learning approach? What are some strategies for getting started? The CTL’s new guide to blended learning helps instructors answer these questions by describing the elements of an effective, learner-centered “blend” derived from research and evidence-based practices. In addition, the guide offers questions that instructors can reflect on before designing their course and additional references and resources. This guide is particularly useful to faculty applying for the Provost’s Hybrid Learning Course Redesign and Delivery grant.