Development Grant
up to $10,000 per faculty member
This grant supports faculty in designing and teaching new service-learning curriculum, programs, or projects. Applications will be accepted from individual faculty members or faculty teams. Interdisciplinary teams and teams from single departments are encouraged to apply. Team proposals should create community-based learning experiences across course sequences or curricula. Previous VT Engage Faculty Fellows are ineligible for this grant.
Expectations of Fellows
- Develop new community-based learning course(s)/program(s) or add substantial community-based learning elements to existing courses/programs. Courses/programs must be offered at least once in the program cycle and twice in the three academic years following course development.
- Meet monthly during the funding cycle with VT Engage and the Faculty Fellows cohort to discuss progress, challenges, and strategies.
- Establish a sustainable and mutually beneficial learning program with at least one community partner.
- Create an assessment plan to document student learning and community outcomes.
- Present about the project and/or course development at a conference or professional meeting focused on the scholarship of engagement, teaching, or learning (e.g., Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy).
- Collaborate with VT Engage to publicize the project in appropriate outlets.
- Share experiences with developing and teaching a service-learning course with other interested faculty and future Faculty Fellows candidates.
- Submit a mid-term and final report to VT Engage documenting the results of course and partnership development relative to the original proposal and the proposed teaching schedule.
Please submit the following information in your application:
Contact for each faculty member
- Name(s)
- Email address(es)
- Primary phone number(s)
- Course(s)
Proposal <2,500 words including:
- Course/program description to be developed or redesigned. If a team proposal, outline why collaboration is desirable. Connections to broader university initiatives and VT Engage’s core values will be favored.
- How will community-based learning pedagogies support specific student learning outcomes/goals?
- How will you ensure that students will learn about societal issues or social justice perspectives in-depth and/or from multiple perspectives?
- How do you anticipate the course or program’s academic content and the community-based learning experiences will be linked?
- How will you structure this to ensure that students will learn the content more deeply or rigorously than if they did not participate?
- Vision for how the course/program will engage students and community partners
- Anticipated community partner(s)
- Need(s), issue, or initiative that the community partner has identified
- Anticipated support needed from VT Engage
- Anticipated course/program development and offering timeline
- Self-assessment
- Anticipated, barriers to success
- What other expertise would be necessary for success (such as campus units, community partners, etc.)
Budget
- Individual faculty may request up to $10,000 in support of the development process or $20,000 for a team. Please use our budget guide and template. Budget transfers to faculty members’ departments will be made in installments.
Faculty Profile
- For each faculty member, provide a brief biographical sketch (1-page maximum) including any similar or related courses taught and level of experience with community-based learning.
Letter(s) of Support from Department and Community Partner(s)
- Each application must provide evidence of support from the department chair(s) associated with the course(s) and/or faculty member(s). Specifically, the letter should affirm departmental intent to offer the courses under development, and the community partner’s confirmation and commitment to collaboration. Use our letter of support templates provided.
2021-22
- Andrea Baldwin
- Chelsea Lyles
- Courtney Powell
- Robin Scully
- Jessica Taylor
2020-21
- Craig Arthur, M.L.I.S.
- Natalie E. Cook, Ph.D.
2019-20
- Matthew Komelski, Ph.D.
- Karen Kovaka, Ph.D.
- Frederick Paige, Ph.D.
2017-19
- Elisabeth L. Austin, Ph.D.
- C.L. Bohannon, Ph.D.
- Kimberly A. Carlson, Ph.D.
- Matthew J. Eick, Ph.D.
- Jacob Grohs, Ph.D.
2014-15
- Sarah Misyak, Ph.D.
- Takumi Sato, Ph.D.
- Brett Shadle, Ph.D.
About VT Engage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning
VT Engage facilitates leadership, service learning, and civic engagement experiences that advance community priorities, contribute to student development, and embody Ut Prosim (That I May Serve.) Serving as a connection point between community and campus partners, we support community-engaged scholarship that advances community-identified priorities through ethical and sustainable action.