Are you interested in researching or developing new approaches to teaching and learning? Do you have a burning question about educational strategies? Are there educational events or tools that could impact your students that you just don’t have the funding for? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the FCTL’s Teaching and Learning Grants are the perfect opportunity for you.

Teaching and Learning Grants are funding opportunities that the FCTL offers to Missouri State faculty looking to advance teaching and learning practices through undertaking a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project. An SoTL project is a self-study of teaching or learning practices that attempts to understand and achieve optimal outcomes for student success. Every year, the FCTL awards multiple projects proposed by faculty in our campus community up to $3000 each to further the development of teaching and learning at MSU, and your project could be next. If you have an idea for an SoTL project that would benefit from funding, the FCTL invites you to submit a proposal!

While the brainstorming and ideation phases of projects typically spark excitement, difficult or inaccessible proposal processes often kill it. No one wants to puzzle through difficult instructions or search for vital information buried under mountains of text—and this step-by-step guide was created to make sure you won’t have to. From selecting the grant that is right for you all the way to recognizing your completed project, this guide will provide you all the information you need to have a painless and easy experience applying for a Teaching and Learning Grant from the FCTL.

Select Your Grant

To begin the proposal process, first you’ll need to decide which grant is compatible with the project you want to undertake. The FCTL currently offers two Teaching and Learning Grants—the FCTL Teaching and Learning Grant, and the FCTL Education Abroad Grant. While proposed projects for both grants must be an SoTL project (must focus on some aspect of increasing student success through teaching and learning practices), there are additional specifications for the FCTL Education Abroad Grant. Read the descriptions below to decide which grant type suits your project.

FCTL Teaching and Learning Grant

The FCTL Teaching and Learning Grant may be awarded to any type of SoTL project. To be considered for funding, proposed projects should be aligned with the principles of an SoTL research project, which include identifying a problem or a discipline-based question that is framed around student learning, drawing from research-based strategies, and applying sound methodology and evaluation processes to assess teaching and learning improvements. To get inspired by some previous grant awardees, visit the Teaching and Learning Grants Recipients homepage and browse through past recipient projects.

FCTL Education Abroad Grant

While the FCTL Teaching and Learning Grant is awarded to any type of SoTL project, The FCTL Education Abroad Grant is only awarded to projects that undertake an SoTL project specifically related to the impact of study abroad experience on student learning outcomes. This grant is intended to encourage projects that assess how participation in education abroad programs influences global awareness, adaptability, intercultural communication, and civic responsibility through the use of SoTL-based inquiries.

 If you have more questions about either grant, you can visit the webpage or contact the FCTL for additional information.

Download and Complete the Proposal Template

Once you’ve decided which grant is a better fit for the project you want to pursue, it’s time to get started on your proposal. The FCTL and Office of Education Abroad have created fillable PDF proposal templates for both grants to make the application process easy, quick, and painless. Download the FCTL Teaching and Learning Grant Proposal Template or the FCTL Education Abroad Proposal Template to see all proposal requirements and begin drafting.

Both Proposal Templates will walk you through the proposal process via detailed instructions. Make sure to fill out each section of the template completely, and keep in mind that both grant proposals require a Statement of Support from an academic unit leader in addition to project information. If you have any questions about filling out the template, contact the FCTL. The call for proposals for both grants opens October 1.

Submit Your Completed Proposal

Once you have filled out the entire proposal template, it’s time to submit your completed proposal to the FCTL. The portal for completed proposals can be found in the FCTL Academic Community in Brightspace. Scoring rubrics for grant proposals for both grants can also be found in the submission portal. If you have not already joined the FCTL Academic Community, follow these instructions to find the Community in Brightspace. Proposals for both grants are due on February 1. If this deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will also be accepted the first following business day. 

What’s Next

All grant proposals undergo a peer review process conducted by the FCTL Faculty Advisory Council (and the Education Abroad Advisory Committee in the case of the FCTL Education Abroad Grant). Grant awardees are announced on April 1. If your project receives an award, the following information outlines how you can use your grant funds, when you will need to complete your project, and requirements for sharing your project after its completion.

Using Grant Funds

Grant funds can be utilized in a variety of ways to support your project, but there are some restrictions you should note. Use the list below to find out what you can and cannot use your grant funds for.

Grant funds can be used for:

• Direct costs associated with the purchase of curriculum modules, supplemental instruction, workbooks, or other instructional materials
• Equipment and/or software to support instruction
• Professional development including workshops, online courses or training, external trainers, conference registration fees, and/or associated travel expenses
• Direct costs associated with supplies or other items needed to support instructional change

Grant funds cannot be used for:

• Salaries or stipends
• Compensation of time for faculty/graduate assistance
• Computer upgrades, classroom upgrades, or other software/platforms that are already being provided or are within the scope of the university
• Workshops and training already provided through LinkedIn or other university venues
•  Incentives for students to participate in a faculty member’s research project will be considered; however, stipends, hourly rates, or covering student tuition is not allowed

Completing Your Project

Projects must be completed within the academic year following receipt of the award (i.e., funds will be disbursed by August 1 and must be expanded no later than June 1). Awardees will be required to provide a brief report of their SoTL project to be shared publicly through MSU/FCTL website(s) and at various faculty development and/or recognition opportunities. Recipients are also required to provide evidence of some form of sharing the SoTL inquiry with others. Some options of sharing include:

• FCTL Showcase of Teaching & Learning
• FCTL Spring Scholarship Summit
• The Faculty Lounge (Podcast Series)
• Faculty Learning Communities (FLC)
• University, College, or Departmental Groups
• Publications (Disciplinary and/or SoTL Journals)
• Conferences

Recognition

Grant recipients will be recognized during the all-faculty recognition event held each spring and as presenters at the Faculty Showcase of Teaching & Learning each August. Additionally, faculty SoTL projects will be made available through the FCTL website and may also be highlighted in faculty resource materials shared via the MSU/FCTL website(s).

Questions?

To learn more about the Teaching and Learning Grants, visit the Teaching and Learning Grants homepage. To learn more about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, visit the SoTL homepage. Applicants can contact the FCTL with any additional questions about the grants, requirements, or proposal creation process.