Centre for Academic and Instructional Development

Quality of Teaching Committee Instructional Development Grants

The Instructional Development Grants program is supported by the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research, funded by the Quality of Teaching Committee and administered by the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development.

This program was established to support projects that improve upon or develop new and creative approaches to teaching and learning practices.

Potential applicants may wish to consult a member of the Quality of Teaching Committee's Sub- Committee on Instructional Development Grants before submitting their application. Contact the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development for the names of current Sub-Committee members.

There are three types of Instructional Development funding available to full and part-time teaching faculty and professional librarians:

Teaching / Learning Major Project Award 

Instructional Development Travel Grants

Instructional Development Small Project Grants

Teaching / Learning Major Project Award

Overview of Award’s Purpose:

The Saint Mary’s University annual Teaching/Learning Major Project Award was established to encourage and support projects that improve upon or develop new and creative approaches to teaching and learning practices, and which generally enhance the teaching and learning environment at Saint Mary’s University.  Priority will be given to projects with a research-based approach to enhancing student learning outcomes in the proposed project, but other development projects are also encouraged.  Outcomes of projects should be broader than one course, and preferably broader than one department.  Projects may also include components directed outside of the standard classroom (e.g. which have an impact on a community outside of SMU).

Amount of Funding:

The maximum amount awarded for a Teaching/Learning Major Project Award is $5,000.

Where sums of money required for the project are larger than the maximum Award total ($5,000), applicants are required to search out matching funds.  Priority will be given to projects that are fully funded by this Award, or where matching funds have already been requested/approved.

Important Dates:

The application deadline is February 28th of each year, with successful applicants notified by March 31st. Project Award funding must begin and end in the next fiscal year (April 1 – March 31).

Eligibility:

All full-time faculty and professional librarians employed at Saint Mary’s University are eligible to apply for this Award.  Part-time faculty are also eligible, provided they will be employed to teach at Saint Mary’s during the year in which the Award funding is dispersed, and that they have past teaching experience at Saint Mary’s University (normally for a minimum of three-years).

Please consult the Complete Guidelines and Application Information, available in either PDF or Word format, before submitting an application.

An application form is available to download in:
PDF format or as a Word document
Please submit your application to the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development, Atrium Building 107A, or fax to 420-5015.

Applicants are asked to submit their proposals, on or before February 28th, to the Director, Centre for Academic and Instructional Development, for consideration by the Quality of Teaching Committee.

Decisions of the Quality of Teaching Committee regarding grant applications are final.

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Instructional Development Travel Grants

Travel grants of up to $1500 may be awarded to support travel to conferences, workshops, seminars, etc., where the primary emphasis is on teaching and learning. Conferences, workshops, seminars, and courses that focus on the content of a particular discipline or profession (e.g., a discipline-specific course to increase instructors' knowledge of their discipline) will not be supported. Travel grants may also be used to bring speakers or consultants to Saint Mary's to disseminate information related to teaching and falling within the scope outlined below.

Scope

Conferences, workshops, seminars and the like that aim to improve teaching and learning practices and to increase student learning will be considered, such as those that:

• focus on methods of teaching and learning in general (e.g., a conference devoted to teaching and learning in higher education; workshops on collaborative learning, team teaching, assessment, etc.)
• focus on methods of teaching and learning in a specific discipline (e.g., a workshop on how to teach math)

Eligibility

Travel grants are available to Saint Mary's full and part-time teaching faculty and professional librarians.

Application Procedures

Submissions should be made using the Travel Grant Application Form to the Director, Centre for Academic and Instructional Development, for consideration by the Quality of Teaching Sub-Committee on Instructional Development Grants.

The Travel Grant Application Form is available for download in:
PDF format or as a Word document
Please submit your application to the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development, AT107A, email to caid@smu.ca, or fax to 420-5015.

Applications must include:

• a typewritten 250-300 word description of the nature of the travel, and its relevance to teaching and learning at Saint Mary's
• a description of the applicant's role in the conference, workshop, etc. (i.e., conference presenter, workshop convenor, non-presenting participant, etc.); or, a description of the speaker(s) or consultant(s) role in the conference, workshop, etc. when the grant is used to bring a speaker or consultant to Saint Mary's
• a copy of the conference program and/or a link to the conference website
• the preferred method of reporting on the outcomes of the travel
• an estimate and description of expenditures and the amount of funding being requested
• co-sponsoring information

Applications may be submitted at any time during the calendar year. Successful applicants may be asked to report on their travel experience (conference, workshop, etc.) to other interested faculty members, or write an article for the Quality of Teaching newsletter, Teaching and Learning at Saint Mary's. Successful applicants are requested to acknowledge the Quality of Teaching Committee and the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development in presentations or reports on their travel experience.

Reviewer Criteria

All travel grant applications are reviewed by the Instructional Development Grants Sub- Committee. Committee members will consider the following factors when evaluating travel requests.

• detailed description and rationale for the travel
• the potential benefit of the travel/participation to teaching and learning at Saint Mary's (priority for all Instructional Development grants will be given to proposals that have implications for a broad spectrum of the university community)
• the applicant's degree of active participation in the conference, workshop, etc. (e.g., presenter, non-presenting participant, etc.)
• statement of costs and availability of other funding
• willingness of applicant to share the outcomes of travel with colleagues
• whether or not the applicant has previously been the recipient of a Saint Mary's Instructional Development grant (the Committee may limit the number of grants an individual can receive)

Examples of Travel Grants

In past years, the Quality of Teaching Committee awarded travel grants that:

• Supported faculty attendance at local, regional, national, and international teaching workshops and conferences including:
• the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) Teaching Showcase
• the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference
• the Summer Institute of Better Practices in Online Teaching and Learning
• the Workshop on Instruction in Library Use (WILU)
• Brought in a speaker to address the Saint Mary's Literacy Council on Writing Across the Curriculum
• Helped fund a faculty member's travel to a Liberated Learning meeting

Potential applicants may wish to consult a member of the Quality of Teaching Committee's Sub- Committee on Instructional Development Grants before submitting their application. Contact the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development for the names of current Sub-Committee members.

Amounts awarded are subject to availability of funds.

The Quality of Teaching Committee reserves the right to make amendments to the above guidelines and criteria.

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Instructional Development Small Project Grants

Scope   

The Quality of Teaching Committee make available grants of up to $1500 for small projects that support research into or practical application of techniques in teaching and learning at Saint Mary's. 

Description

The Small Project Grant stimulates the development of or assists in the continuation of small projects involving teaching and learning.  These grants may help fund projects with limited scope that improve upon or develop new and creative approaches to teaching and learning practices. Projects supported may be research-based or application-based and may be limited to activity in one course.  The grant does not have the large research scope of the Major Project Award.

Successful applicants are expected to present their results from the project in some form such as through a presentation to faculty or an article in Teaching and Learning at Saint Mary's.

Eligibility

All full time and part-time faculty and professional librarians are eligible to apply for the Small Project grant. 

Exceptions

Normally this grant and other instructional development grants do not cover such things as:

• the purchase of equipment,
• teaching release time,
• basic curriculum development activities, or
• activities that should be part of a department's or faculty's normal funding responsibilities.

Examples of Small Projects

The following is a list of some small projects which have been funded in the past.  These are provided only to give an idea of the scope and diversity of projects which might be appropriate for this grant:

• Developing a set of best practices for teaching first year students through interviews and questionnaires.
• Developing podcasting prototypes for the classroom.
• Creating understanding of screencasting for use in Sobey School of Business.
• Hiring and training students for supporting faculty, course-based writing initiatives.

Application Procedures

Potential applicants are encouraged to consult a member of the Quality of Teaching Committee's Instructional Development Grants Subcommittee before submitting their applications.  Contact the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development (420-5088) for the names of current subcommittee members.

Where sums of money required for the project are larger than the Grant maximum ($1500), applicants are encouraged to search out matching funds.  Priority will be given to projects that are fully funded by this Grant or where matching funds have already been requested and approved.

An application form is available to download in: PDF format or Word document

Submissions should be made using the application form and be directed to the Director, Centre for Academic and Instructional Development, for consideration by the Quality of Teaching Committee.   A potential applicant must (1) complete the application form and (2) provide a 250 to 350 word description of the project.  Between these two documents the following information is required:

• Project title.
• Applicant(s) and Departmental information including contact coordinates.
• Amount of funding requested and, where necessary, source of additional funds.
• Details of the project.
  • Project description (250 to 350 words).
  • Involvement of students or colleagues.           
  • Relevance to teaching and learning at Saint Mary's.
  • Benefits of the project.
  • Budget details.
• Co-sponsoring information (if applicable).
• Method of reporting results by applicant(s).

Applications for this grant may be submitted at any time during the calendar year.

Please e-mail your application and supporting documents to the Centre for Academic and Instructional Development at caid@smu.ca fax to 420-5088, or deliver it the CAID office, AT107A

Amounts awarded are subject to availability of funds.

The Quality of Teaching Committee reserves the right to make amendments to the above guidelines and criteria.

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