Faculty Development Program

Development and Enrichment Grants: 2011-2012

The Office of the Provost invites requests for funding to support faculty development. Grants are available to underwrite costs associated with a variety of faculty development activities. Grants are capped at $1,000, except for those involving international travel, in which case the maximum amount available is $3,000.

Overview

The following list offers some idea of the type of activities that are grant-eligible. However, faculty who wish to request funding for development activities that are not listed below are encouraged to do so.

• Internationalization of faculty experience, particularly as it pertains to their teaching interests and course assignments.
• International program development in partnership with Colleges and Universities abroad.
• Travel to establish strategic institutional partnerships with colleges and universities abroad.
• The use of advanced technology to promote student learning.
• Program development and enhancement activities that contribute to significant strategic improvement.
• Reading and discussion groups and workshops that allow faculty to engage in sustained learning, conversation, and reflection about teaching, advising, mentoring, and other student-centered activities.
• Research directly related to teaching, including new-course development.
• The acquisition of new knowledges, skills, and expertises germane to a faculty member's field of study.
• Faculty travel to disciplinary conferences and workshops devoted to teaching development in areas underrepresented on the Drake campus.
• Development activities for faculty engaged in, or wishing to explore, administrative and shared-governance roles (such as department chairs, program directors, committee chairs, and the like).

This is not an exhaustive list; if you have ideas for individual or collaborative development activities, or are aware of opportunities that are not covered above, please contact Academic Affairs Fellow, Craig Owens (faculty.development@drake.edu) to discuss options.

The Provost's office does not offer stipendiary support for research activities, except for workshops and similar activities that require meetings outside the regular working times.

Criteria for Consideration of Proposals

The overriding criterion is the degree to which the proposed project or activity contributes to the mission and strategic goals of the University. However, the following factors will also be considered, though no single one of them will determine the success of the application.

• Breadth of involvement and of impact. Proposals that are interdisciplinary and collaborative are especially encouraged.
• The persistence of the results: Proposals that promise long-term benefits and outcomes that can be built on in the future are more likely to receive funding than those that promise only short-term or one-time benefits.
• Proposals that impact several kinds of activity—for instance, program enhancement activities that involve disciplinary research—may receive preference over proposals more limited in their range of activities.
• The applicants' history of grant approval. Faculty members who have received little or no funding in the past may be given priority, all else being equal.
• The over-all cost of the proposed projects. In some cases, partial funding may be awarded.

Proposals received in the summer will be reviewed by Associate Provost Art Sanders and Craig Owens, with input from members of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee as necessary. During the regular academic year, the full Faculty Development Advisory Committee will advise on all proposals.

Application Process

All grant applications must include the following:

• A uniform application cover sheet. Download Cover Sheet
• A uniform budget checklist. Download Budget Checklist.
• The applicant's/s' cv.
• A single document that includes...
  • A detailed description of the project or activity to be undertaken.
  • An explanation of the benefits, both to the participant(s) and the University more generally. This explanation should address the way the proposed activity or project responds to the University Strategic Plan, the University Mission statement, the ‌Internationalization Strategic Plan  or the mission of a specific program or unit in the University.
  • A timeline for completing the proposed project or activity. (All funds must be used by May 1, 2012).
  • An explanation of the history, background, or prior preparations made for the proposed activity, including faculty qualifications.

Please submit requests electronically, as document attachments, to faculty.development@drake.edu. Requests for more information or clarification can be sent to the same address.