Academic Affairs

Supporting the Growth Agenda

Deadline for 2010-11 Proposals: March 3, 2010.

Project Categories | Background | Proposal Requirements | Project Duration | Requirements for Application | Proposal Components | Review Process | Documentation

Grant Awards

2009-10 Grant Awards (Word doc)

Grant Program Parameters

The University of Wisconsin System Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to
announce a request for proposals for a new grant program that seeks to support and advance the UW System Growth Agenda.

A total of $500,000 will be available for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010-11 to fund projects in the following categories:

  1. Strategies that improve retention and increase degree attainment at the undergraduate level;
  2. Collaboration with PK-12 community to enrich college preparation in the area of Mathematics (Funding for new proposals or equal match of campus funding, up to $50,000, for continuing projects funded in FY2009-10).
  3. Development of a Student Engagement Portfolio, enabling students to represent curricular and co-curricular activities
  4. Focus on Inclusive Excellence through expansion of High Impact Practices (learning communities, first-year experiences, capstone experiences, and undergraduate research) targeted at underrepresented students.

Successful proposals will result in programs that directly advance systemwide efforts in one of these four areas.  Particular attention will be given to models, programs and strategies with demonstrated success.  Proposals will generally fall under one of four categories:

  • New or pilot projects
  • Proposals to replicate projects at another campus or in another context
  • Expanding or enhancing existing projects
  • Program evaluation and assessment of existing projects

Other innovative projects that advance systemwide efforts in the four project categories are also invited.

Consistent with the guiding principles of Inclusive Excellence, proposals should be collaborative in nature; reflect greater institutional engagement beyond a single department, unit or program; and reveal a keen understanding of the diverse needs and experiences that UW students bring to the educational process.

All UW System institutions are eligible to apply and up to two proposals per institution will be accepted. For 2010-11, the maximum funding amount is $100,000 per project. Collaborative proposals across disciplines, schools, colleges, or institutions are especially encouraged. Each proposal must be signed off by the Provost(s) and the Grants Officer(s).

Further explanation of the goals of project categories

  1. Strategies that improve retention and increase degree attainment at the undergraduate level

    Student retention is a critical lynchpin of the UW System’s Growth Agenda for Wisconsin.  The strategic goals of growing people, jobs, and communities are heavily dependent on the ability of UW System institutions to retain students until they graduate.  Funding for proposals under this category will be provided to UW System institutions for efforts that clearly demonstrate the capacity to do the following:

    • Assess existing institutional retention practices and programs to determine their overall effectiveness in ensuring that students remain in college and earn their baccalaureate degrees;
    • Result in the establishment of more comprehensive and cohesive institutional approaches to bolstering student retention and degree attainment;
    • Lead to more effective implementation of curricular and co-curricular practices and programs centrally focused on bolstering student retention and degree attainment; and
    • Bear promise for wider replication across the UW System.

    2.  

  2. Collaborate with PK-12 community to enrich college preparation in the area of mathematics

    3. Grant proposals for the category of collaboration with PK-12 community, must focus on creating or enhancing existing partnerships between faculty and staff at your institution and educators from one or more local/regional high schools for the purpose of promoting effective teaching and learning in mathematics.

    Examples of relevant projects include working with high school administrators, pupil personnel, and/or teachers to: a) create better alignment between high school math courses and college credit-bearing entry courses, b) develop processes for sharing and using relevant data between high schools and your campus (e.g., results of college placement tests in mathematics), or c) encourage involvement in the early math placement assessment pilot.

    Funding is available in this area for new proposals or equal match of campus funding, up to $50,000, for continuing projects funded in FY2009-10.

  3. Development of a Student Engagement Portfolio, enabling students to represent both curricular and co-curricular activities which speak to mastery of UW System Shared Learning Goals

    4. The Student Engagement Portfolio enables students to represent their college experience and learning more comprehensively, including both curricular and co-curricular activities.  Grant Funding is available to UW institutions to develop a campus-specific student engagement portfolio, or pilot the use of an existing portfolio tool.  Funding will be available for both planning and implementation projects, with an emphasis on assessment.

  4. Focus on Inclusive Excellence through expansion of High Impact Practices (learning communities, first-year experiences, capstone experiences, and undergraduate research) targeted at underrepresented students

    5. Increase offerings of four selected High Impact Practices—learning communities, first-year experiences, capstone experiences, and undergraduate research—with demonstrated outreach to, and enrollment of, underserved students (including students of color, and first-generation and transfer students).  Assessment of existing HIPs, leading to the documentation of deeper student learning and engagement, in particular across the shared learning goals identified above, and for underserved students as defined above.  Additional resources on High Impact Practices, their role in providing students with a quality liberal education, and their assessment can be found at the following link:  http://www.aacu.org/leap/assessment_resources.cfm.

    Proposals in this category will build on other UW System initiatives, including the Equity Scorecard Project, the Transfer Equity Study, the Give Students a Compass Project, and institutional involvement in AAC&U’s LEAP (Liberal Education and America’s Promise) Campaign.  All of this work supports and advances Inclusive Excellence.

Background

In February 2008, University of Wisconsin System President Kevin P. Reilly presented eleven initiatives to the Board of Regents, entitled the Growth Agenda Action Steps, in support of the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin – the university’s effort to produce more college graduates, stimulate job creation and strengthen Wisconsin communities. The initiatives grew out of a systemwide strategic planning process that gathered input through work groups, statewide listening sessions, business surveys, and other methods.  The UW System’s Strategic Framework for Advantage Wisconsin and the eleven Growth Agenda Action Steps can be found at http://advantage.wisconsin.edu/reports/

The four targeted areas for this Grant Program are based on which areas would most benefit from campus initiatives at this time.

 

Proposal Requirements

The electronic submission of the proposal is due on or before March 3, 2010, for projects that will be funded during the fiscal year 2010-11.  Proposals should be sent to bjokisch@uwsa.edu.

 

 

Project Duration

Proposals should only request one-year funding for 2010-11

 

Requirements for Application

To be considered for funding, a proposal must:

  1. Present a coherent statement of how project outcomes advance systemwide efforts in one of the four selected categories;
  2. Clarify how activities designed to meet stated outcomes are grounded in research;
  3. Have the potential to advance systemwide efforts or be replicable at other institutions;
  4. Employ sound evaluation measures;
  5. Identify how project activities/outcomes could be sustained beyond the life of the grant (e.g., external funding potential, institutionalization of project through internal reallocation, etc.); and
  6. Have the endorsement of the Provost.

 

Proposal Components

  1. Cover Page.  Please use the attached form.
  2. Abstract.  Maximum length: one double-spaced page.
  3. Project Narrative.  Maximum length: ten double-spaced pages, with a minimum 12-point font.  Please note that reviewers will evaluate proposals based on these sections. 

The narrative must include the following sections:

  1. Description of Project Outcomes and Activities.  Clearly identify the intended outcomes of the project and describe the relevant activities consistent with each of these outcomes.  Outcomes should be specific, measurable, attainable, and timely. As appropriate, applicants should identify the research or evidence base that helped inform the outcomes and/or activities selected. 

In this section, discuss how the proposed project will relate to and enhance existing efforts on your campus.  If applicable, describe the innovative and/or experimental nature of the project.  Describe the nature of and reasons for the specific collaborative partners (i.e., describe how partners will enhance activities associated with planning, implementation and evaluation).

The narrative should be organized so that the reviewers are clear about the overall outcomes of the project (i.e., what you will present as your final documented accomplishments) as well as the incremental indicators or benchmarks of success and relevant activities for each year of the project.

  1. Systemwide Impact/Replication.  Proposals should specify how the outcomes and related activities would serve to directly advance systemwide efforts or are replicable at other UW System institutions.
  2. Assessment/Evaluation.   Each outcome detailed in section B must be assessed using quantitative and/or qualitative methods and associated activities must be evaluated.  In this section, identify the methods and tools you will likely use.  Successful proposals will reflect sound quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies (i.e., participant perceptions are not sufficient for documentation of outcomes or evaluation of the quality of activities).  It is appropriate to indicate that new tools may be developed; however, please provide general information regarding any proposed methods or tools.
  3. Sustainability.   Identify the specific strategies you will take to increase the likelihood that the activities/project outcomes will be sustained beyond the grant cycle (e.g., actions to secure other external funding; institutionalization of project through internal reallocation; etc.).
  4. Diversity.  Particular attention will be given to models, programs, and strategies with demonstrated success with advancing diversity and fostering equity and excellence for underrepresented and underserved populations, inclusive curricular, co-curricular, and pedagogical practices.
  5. Budget and Budget Narrative.  The attached budget form must be used for all proposals (do not use your own form).  * Please note that for FY 2010-11, in order to maximize grant funds, fringe benefits will not be funded though the Growth Agenda Grant Program.

You must also include a budget narrative (maximum length: two pages double-spaced, with a minimum 12 point font).  Clearly describe and justify each item of the budget in relation to the proposal.  For example, if you include release time for faculty and/or staff, explain their activities during the funding period.
Examples of funding requests may include following expenses:

  • UW faculty/staff release time, overload, or summer contracts
  • Consultant expenses or collaborative partners
  • Student help, graduate assistants
  • Travel for planning meetings and dissemination
  • Software, supplies and expenses
  • Capital equipment and hardware in support of the project

Matching funds are not required but are a plus for demonstrating commitment and sustainability.

  1. Vitae For the project director only, please provide a condensed, one-page curriculum vitae.
  2. Provost Letter of Endorsement
  3. Additional Letters of Support (optional).

 

Review Process

A review team consisting of representatives from UW System Institutions and UW System Administration will assess the proposals and make funding recommendations to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, UW System Administration.  Individuals and institutions will be notified no later than May 1, 2010, with the results of the review process.

 

Documentation

Growth Agenda RFP (pdf document)
Project Categories (Word document)
Proposal Cover Sheet (Word document)
Budget Sheet (Excel document)