August 29, 2011

Gateway Sciences grant applications wanted

The Provost’s Office wants your ideas for how to improve the gateway science courses. The purpose of the RFP process is to garner bold, creative, culture-changing ideas for transforming these courses based on sound precedents and accompanied by rigorous assessment plans.

Projects may focus on existing courses, develop new courses or programs, enhance or advance pedagogy, or develop new learning resources and strategies that function either inside or outside the classroom. Projects should build on and reinforce best practices in education, including active learning and the encouragement of student-faculty interactions and cooperation among students.

The projects should promote student engagement and discovery. They could include improvements to laboratory components of these courses, classroom technology, enhancements in the training and effectiveness of graduate teaching assistants or multimedia use. Proposals might also call for the creation of new interdisciplinary courses or programs that adopt integrated approaches to the learning of gateway science material.

Respondents are encouraged to consult with divisional teaching and learning center staff, or outside instructional design and pedagogical experts, for assistance with concept development, budgeting and assessment strategies.

Proposals may be submitted by individual faculty, groups of faculty, single departments or multiple departments in any of the JHU divisions.

The total project period may not exceed two years, and the funds requested may not exceed $200,000 over the award period. Matching funds or other in-kind contributions from participating departments or divisions are encouraged.

The deadline for proposals is Nov. 18. Earliest anticipated start dates for awards is Jan. 3, 2012. Proposals should be submitted in PDF format as email attachments to Gateway.Sciences@jhu.edu.

For the complete RFP and more information about the initiative, go to www.jhu.edu/provost/gsi.