SAS Instructional Technology Grants

Proposals for the second half of the 2009-2010 academic year are due by 5pm on Friday, November 6, 2009, with awards being announced by the end of the month.  Please check back here in early 2010 for the deadline for Spring submissions.


Ready to apply? Click here to jump to the end of this page and learn how.

Otherwise, see the information below for details.

Introduction

The School of Arts & Sciences offers grants to enhance undergraduate education through effective use of technology.  SAS faculty and others can submit proposals for equipment, software, labor, and other services that will improve SAS undergraduate courses.

Awards may consist of funds for the purchase of materials, hiring student or temporary workers, allocated staff time, or priority access to shared equipment and services.  Faculty may request assistance from Computing staff for learning how to use Blackboard or other technology to enhance teaching and learning.  Proposals to help faculty get their students actively involved with the modern practices in their field are particularly encouraged.  

Grants are typically not awarded for purchase of equipment or software for the exclusive use of individual instructors, or for the routine production of normal teaching materials, such as basic Powerpoint slides.

To see a list of Instructional Technology & Pedagogy Support Services that may give you ideas for grants proposals, please see our list of instructional and pedagogy support services.  In addition, we have recently posted examples of previous SAS Instructional Technology Grants, which you may find helpful.  

Table of Contents

What kind of proposals are appropriate?
What kind of support is available?
Who determines the awards? What are the criteria and conditions?
Who can apply?
How and when do I apply?
Who can I talk to for more information?

What kind of proposals are appropriate?

You can make three types of proposals, based on the amount of support you need:

Small

Scope is typically a single course, or small group of courses; technical complexity low to moderate. Implementation schedule typically 3 months or less.

Services can be provided mostly by existing staff or equipment. Total allocated staff time approximately 50 hrs; cash expenditure $1000 max.

Proposals can be made made and awarded at any time. *Awards are determined by SAS Computing staff, with advice from the SAS Learning & Technology Committee when necessary.

Examples: development of simple web sites (no scripting); digitizing or preparing other electronic course materials; staff support for student Multi-Media projects; special videoconference events for classes; inexpensive software for classroom or lab use; individualized instruction in use of Blackboard, Powerpoint, or other basic teaching technologies.

Medium

Scope may impact a large enrollment course or a cluster of courses; technical complexity moderate to high. Implementation schedule typically 3 - 9 months.

Projects require larger amounts of staff support time (50 - 100 hrs.) or significant cash expense ($5000 max.).

Semiannual cycle, to coincide with planning for Fall and Spring term implementation. The next deadline is posted at the top of this page. * Awards are determined by a working group of the SAS Learning & Technology Committee.

Examples: Web projects that require programming or database integration; complex or high volume Multi-Media projects; expensive software or other complex customizations in computer labs; videoconference support for an entire term; equipment or software, including that which may be shared among projects.

Large

Scope may affect large numbers of students; technical complexity may be high. Implementation schedule up to a year, or longer with renewal.

Projects require extensive amounts of staff support time (100+ hours), highly skilled work, or significant cash expense (up to $10,000; maybe more).

Annual cycle for proposals.  The next deadline is posted at the top of this page. * Peer review by the SAS Learning & Technology Committee including faculty and senior administrators. High standards for feasibility, project management, educational impact, and strategic value for the School as a whole.

Only 1 or 2 large projects awarded per year.

Examples: Major web projects; distributed learning courses; highly innovative pilot projects; major equipment/software purchases.

 

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What kind of support is available?

Awards may include any combination of the following resources, budgeted according to the criteria described above:

Purchase of equipment or software for classrooms or computer labs; all purchases will be coordinated by SAS Computing staff.

Expedited access to shared resources, such as digital video equipment, servers, videoconferencing rooms, etc.

Hiring students or temporary workers, especially when projects require subject-area knowledge or specialized technical skills. All payments will be made through accounts supervised by SAS Computing, under applicable University personnel guidelines.

Allocated time from SAS Computing staff including web designers, programmers, videoconference operators or Multi-Media production specialists.

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Who determines the awards? What are the criteria and conditions?

The process will vary based on the size of the proposal.

Small

Proposals will be reviewed and awarded by Instructional Technology staff in SAS Computing under the direction of John MacDermott. Proposals should demonstrate relevance to SAS courses. Inexpensive or urgent requests can be awarded same-day, if necessary. More complex or expensive requests may require review and planning prior to award of resources. Recipients will be asked to provide brief written follow up on the outcome of their activity.

Medium

Proposals will be reviewed and awarded by a working group of the SAS Learning and Technology Committee; the group will consist of both faculty and administrative representatives. The group may consult Department chairs to assure that projects are consistent with departmental priorities. Evaluation criteria include:

Sound pedagogical foundation

Impact on the curriculum (basic introductory courses, role in the major, number of cu's, etc.)

Applicability to other faculty or courses with similar requirements

Practicality for implementation within available budget

Proposals should include a clear description of support requested, project goals, and plan for assessing success in meeting those goals. Proposals should also identify issues related to continuation beyond the initial funding. All recipients will be required to submit written assessment of outcomes; a summary of all funded projects will be listed on the SAS Computing web site.

Large

Proposals will be reviewed first by a working group of the SAS Learning and Technology Committee, then referred to the full Committee for final approval and award. SAS Deans or senior administrators may be asked to review for relevance to school-wide priorities. Evaluation criteria include:

Well documented pedagogical foundations

Demonstrated success of applicants with previous technology projects

Impact on the curriculum and relevance to School-wide priorities

Technology or practices that can be adapted to other users

Availability of matching funds

Practicality for implementation within available budget

Proposals should include a clear description of support requested, project goals, and plan for assessing success in meeting those goals. Proposals should also identify issues related to continuation beyond the initial funding. All recipients will be required to submit written assessment of outcomes, and may be asked to present their work; a summary of all funded projects will be listed on the SAS Computing web site.

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Who can apply?

Small

Anyone who teaches courses in SAS; departmental or SAS Computing staff may also requests small grants, if they can cite relevance to specific courses and name the instructors involved. Students may not apply for grants.

Medium

SAS standing faculty; full time lecturers and program coordinators, or staff members acting on their behalf.

Large

Only members of the SAS standing faculty.

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How and when do I apply?

Small

Use the web form here. Or simply contact SAS Computing Local Support Providers or any member of the SAS Computing Instructional Technology staff. Requests will be accepted at any time during the year.

Medium

Use the web form here. See the top of this page for the deadline.

 

Large

See the web form here. See the top of this page for the deadline.

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Who can I talk to for more information?

For more information about SAS Instructional Technology grants, or help preparing a proposal, please contact:

John MacDermott
Director for Instructional Technology

215-898-3046

 

or

 

Elizabeth Scheyder

Senior Instructional Technology Specialist

215-898-7318 / scheydec@sas

 

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