Request for Proposals — Overview
Have an idea for a digital learning project? The Office of the Provost is accepting proposals from faculty seeking to enhance learning, at Notre Dame and in the broader world, through digital means. Many types of projects are eligible for support. For this round of awards and grants, priority areas include the following:
- Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (projects that advance the cause of equity and inclusion, at or beyond Notre Dame).
- Inter-Institutional or Multi-Campus Collaborations (including shared or ‘co-located’ courses offered jointly between Notre Dame and another accredited institution or between Notre Dame campuses.
- Experimental Pedagogies (digital projects that research new modalities and strategies for learning).
Types of Awards
There are three types of projects eligible for support under this competition:
- Implementation and Extension awards are offered for small-scale pilots, narrowly focused projects, or extensions of existing digital initiatives. Awards may be delivered through in-kind development effort, funding, or both. Examples include: learning/teaching software pilots; design and production of instructional animations; editorial/post-production assistance with content creation (screencasts, videos).
- Major Project awards are offered for new larger-scale projects, and may be delivered through a combination of in-kind development support, funding, or both. Major projects include inter-institutional collaborations, online courses for Notre Dame students or others, pre-matriculated students, and the design and production of digital assets (video lectures, animations, learning environments) to enhance new or existing Notre Dame courses.
- Virtual Reality Pilot Program. The Center for Research Computing, the Academic Technologies unit of the OIT, and the Office of Digital Learning announce a pilot program for faculty to explore virtual reality (VR) as a medium for research and teaching. Faculty interested in developing VR environments to support research or to create experimental learning experiences may apply for in-kind development and design support to create prototypes and small-scale pilot projects. VR pilot projects may begin as soon as Spring 2018.
Eligibility
All members of the regular Notre Dame faculty are eligible to apply for support through this competition. The Provost’s ad hoc Committee on Learning and Teaching (a committee of senior faculty from across the University) will evaluate proposals. Successful projects may be supported by professional staff from the Office of Digital Learning, the Center for Research Computing, the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning, OIT Learning Platforms Division, Hesburgh Libraries, and other units as appropriate. The following project areas are NOT eligible for this competition: databases and research platforms; web-based scholarly editions; scholarly research or creative activity; website design; equipment and infrastructure. For support and advice regarding these kinds of projects, please consult Notre Dame Research or the Center for Digital Scholarship.
Apply
To apply for support, interested faculty or faculty teams should complete the brief Project Proposal Form.
This competition will close on Friday, December 8, 2017. Faculty will be notified of the status of their proposal no later than Monday, January 21, 2017.
Review Process
Major projects are subject to the approval of the Department Chair and Dean. The Provost’s ad hoc Committee on Learning and Teaching will evaluate proposals and recommend finalists based on the following criteria
- Alignment with the stated goals of the competition
- Potential impact on effective learning at Notre Dame
- Alignment with the goals of departments, academic units or the University
- Intellectual range, creativity, and commitment to discovery
- Arecord of creative and successful teaching on the part of the lead faculty
Questions
Please do not hesitate to reach out directly with the colleagues listed below for assistance and advice as you develop your proposals.
Elliott Visconsi
Chief Academic Digital Officer, Provost’s Office
eviscons@nd.edu
Laurie Kirkner
Director and Sr. Learning Designer, Office of Digital Learning
lkirkne1@nd.edu
Jarek Nabrzyski
Director, Center for Research Computing
naber@nd.edu
Paul Turner
Director, Learning Platforms Team in the OIT
Paul.Turner@nd.edu