CIC is pleased to announce the first NetVUE grant program for individual projects by staff and faculty members. While NetVUE offers a number of grant programs for institutions, this new program—Grants to Individuals for Vocational Exploration—is its first program designed explicitly for individual projects by faculty members and staff at NetVUE member institutions.
Many employees at NetVUE member institutions engage and contribute to the exploration of vocation in undergraduate education through their scholarship, teaching, and practice. The NetVUE program seeks to support this work by offering them more resources to support new research and pedagogical innovation. Through the NetVUE Grants to Individuals for Vocational Exploration, CIC will offer funding and guidance to support projects that will generate artifacts or products (such as scholarly articles, course syllabi and learning activities, program designs, or other resources) that will develop and expand the existing field of scholarship, conversation, and pedagogy on vocation in undergraduate education.
This initiative is administered by CIC with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Funding Plan and Potential Programming
Grants may be requested in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for use over a semester, summer, or one academic year. This grant is intended to support innovative projects in the scholarship, pedagogy, leadership, and/or practice of vocation in undergraduate education. Proposals are welcome from both new and established scholars and practitioners. Particularly welcome are projects that seek to make vocational exploration and discernment available to all students, as well as projects that invite the NetVUE community toward fresh considerations and new frameworks in vocation as a lens for undergraduate education.
This program welcomes smaller and medium-sized projects as well as projects seeking the maximum level of funding. Funds may be used for released time or stipends, research expenses, books, travel to meetings relevant to the project (other than NetVUE conferences and events), and materials and supplies.
CIC has awarded 39 grants in the first round of the NetVUE Grants to Individuals for Vocational Exploration.
In February 2026, 17 awards were given to individuals at NetVUE campuses. View summaries of the 2026 program initiatives.
In May 2026, 22 awards were given to individuals at NetVUE campuses. View summaries of the 2026 program initiatives.
Eligibility
All full-time employees at NetVUE member institutions, whether faculty members or staff, are encouraged to apply. Individuals who will be serving as the principal project leader for an institutional NetVUE grant project are not eligible for an individual grant during the same time period. More than one member of the faculty or staff at a given institution may apply for any given grant period, as applications are considered on the basis of individual merit without regard to institutional affiliation. In addition, prior applications and prior awards of a Grant to Individuals for Vocational Exploration will not influence (either positively or negatively) decisions about proposals from individuals at the same institution.
Please see the official Invitation for Applications for grant timelines, including fund disbursements and spending deadlines.
Application Details
Grants will be awarded based on proposals that explain (1) how the project relates to existing scholarship, pedagogy, leadership, and/or practice on vocation in undergraduate education; (2) how the project will contribute to this existing body of scholarship, pedagogy, leadership, and/or practice in original, new, or innovative ways, (3) the purpose and plan of proposed activities, and (4) a plan for assessing the impact or outcome of the project.
To submit an application, please refer to the invitation and online application form:
Grant applications are due October 2, 2026.
Contact Information
Questions about NetVUE Grants to Individuals for Vocational Exploration can be addressed to Kari Kloos, NetVUE grant program officer, at kkloos@cic.edu.
About NetVUE
Learn more about NetVUE, including the array of programs and services that are available to member institutions.
To report a technical problem with the website, or to offer suggestions for navigation and content issues, please contact Madeline Smanik, NetVUE communications specialist, at msmanik@cic.edu.