Office of the Provost
2014-2015
Academic Innovation Fund
Request for proposals and application
Pedagogical Innovations for existing courses
Instructions
Rolling deadline beginning April 30th and open until 14-15 funds are distributed
Full time faculty are invited to submit a proposal to receive funds during the 2014-2015
academic year to support the pedagogical innovation associated with existing coursework.
Generally, funds will be available starting July 1st for pedagogical revisions to existing courses
during the 2014-2015 or 2015-2016 academic years. Please see the Office of the Provost
Innovation Fund Program Description posted on the CSFD Website for more details on the
scope and type of innovations that can be supported by these funds. The Office of the Provost,
under the recommendation of the Board of Trustees has allocated $50,000 each year for the
next five years to support academic innovation here at SPU.
Faculty are invited to submit single or multiple year proposals1. A faculty member is required to
be the principal organizer but is welcome to work collaboratively with other faculty and / or
staff and administration. Faculty may also ask for funds to include students as learning
assistants or research assistants (e.g. assistants with program evaluations). Funds can be used
for research, course and technology materials, additional administrative costs (e.g. Camp Casey
rentals, transportation and / or meals) to implement innovations, proposed program evaluation
costs, professional development opportunities that are necessary to implement the innovations
and academic year stipends, summer stipends or course release to develop the proposed
innovation.
What are the appropriate award sizes?
It totally depends on your proposed innovation(s). It is important to create a realistic budget
with reasonable time commitment, costs and a level of detail that is aligned with the details of
the proposal. Applications can include a request for a small stipend (up to $1,000) to recognize
time and effort toward innovative revisions (such as participation in a faculty learning
community). Faculty can also ask for summer stipend or course release for larger and more
complex revisions. Faculty can apply for multi-year grants, with the understanding that future
1
Funds for Multiple year proposals will be released on year 2, 3 etc. based on the review and approval of annual
reports
year funding will be dependent on an annual grant report that demonstrates reasonable
progress on the innovation.2
Calculating summer stipends and course release
SUMMER STIPEND: Full-time faculty on either a 9 or 10 month contract may request a summer
stipend to work on a course innovation. Summer stipends can be either $4,500 (5 credits),
$2,700 (3 credits), or $1,800 (2 credits), depending on the time commitment or scope of your
projects. Fringe benefits of 11.8% also must be included in the proposed budget ($531, $319 or
$213). Summer stipends will be paid directly to the faculty member in September, following the
conclusion of the work.
COURSE RELEASE: Full-time faculty may request up to a 5-credit course release with their
Dean’s approval (2 or 3 credit releases are also possible). Innovation funds are available to
enable your school to cover the cost of an adjunct replacement at $900 per credit, plus 11.8%
for fringe. Check with your department or school budget manager to determine if you should
use a different rate.3
ACADEMIC STIPEND: Faculty who do not request a summer stipend or course release can
request up to a $1,118 stipend to recognize their efforts for the proposed innovation ($1,000
with fringe benefits).
Student Learning Assistants, Research Assistants, especially Graduate Research may be included
in your proposal. Check with your School’s budget coordinator for the correct rates.
REPORTING: Grant reports are due on 6 month intervals from the initial dispersion of their
funds until the completion of the project. The reports should be written with the
understanding that they will be posted and highlighted on the CSFD website. All grantees agree
to be part of at least one “live” presentation SPU faculty to review their innovation and its
outcomes to and one “video taped” archive presentation that can be shared both within and
outside of SPU. Grantees with multi-year grants are required to submit an annual grant report
before additional funds are released.
2
It is expected that curricular innovations will more likely require multi-year commitments with course release or
summer stipends but faculty can propose these options based on the complexity and expected time commitments
to pedagogical innovation.
3
Faculty in CAS can calculate adjunct replacement at $900 per credit. Faculty in other Schools should check with
their budget manager for the appropriate rate.
Office of the Provost
2014-2015
Academic Innovation Fund
Application
Pedagogical Innovations for existing courses
Use this template as your application and submit an electronic copy to
CSFD@SPU.edu
Contact Faculty member (name, title and department):
Other SPU community members who are part of the project (name, title and department):
Project Title (to be used in communication with the rest of the SPU community):
Total Amount Requested:
Please use a 12 point font type, single space, and include additional pages as needed
Use the following questions to craft the description of your innovation proposal. These items
will be used to rate the quality of the proposals so please insure that you address each
sufficiently. You can leave the numbers in place or write a narrative that incorporates them.
Your proposal should be 3-4 pages text. Add appendices and citations as appropriate.
1. Provide the course number / course description
2. Provide a description and purpose of the course innovation including its expected
benefits to both students and SPU. How do you expect this innovation to be
effective, efficient, and keeping faith with SPU essentials?
3. What exactly are you planning to do? What is the design of your innovation?
4. Why do you expect that your innovation will lead to the outcomes listed in 2?
Provide some justification for your assumptions (e.g. using theory, other related
program evaluations or a well-reasoned argument)4
5. How will you carry out the proposed activities?
6. What is the time frame for your innovation and evaluation?
7. How do you expect students to react to your innovation?
8. How will you assess student learning and its relationship to the innovation?5
9. Are there any expected cost savings to students and / or the university?
4
5
Provide references as appropriate – these can be footnoted
Please go into as much detail as possible
10. How might other faculty use the results? Are there other sections or courses that
you think will benefit from implementing this innovation?
11. How do you envision disseminating the results in a way that faculty here at SPU or
elsewhere could use your work for their own coursework?
Itemized Budget6:
Provide a narrative for your budget: What current or additional resources do you need to carry
out your innovation? Are you planning to use resources at SPU in a way that is innovative?
Refer to your budget below as you explain this.
Provide total itemized costs related to the project. Use this template as appropriate for your
proposed innovation. Provide as much detail as possible.
Expenses:
Technology costs (hardware and
software)
Course material /supplies
Travel
Conference Costs
Consultants or speakers
Total Expenses:
Salaries: complete as appropriate
Course Release
Honorariums
Summer stipend
Student stipend (Academic Yr)
Student stipend (Summer)
Total Salaries:
Fringe:
Faculty Academic Yr/Professional
Faculty Summer Salary
Student Fringe caluculations
Total Fringe Benefits:
Total Budget:
Faculty Signature: _______________________ ____________________________Date:
6
See application instructions document on how to calculate adjunct replacement and student benefit rates.
Chair Signature7: _____________________________________________________Date:
Dean Signature: ______________________________________________________Date: ______
7
All applications require your Dean’s signature. CAS, SOE, & SPFC faculty must also secure their Chair’s signature if
you are asking for course release.