CIC is pleased to announce an initiative to support innovative science pedagogy on CIC campuses, generously supported by the W. M. Keck Foundation. This initiative draws on the evidence-based, active learning methods championed by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman through his Science Education Initiatives at Stanford University, the University of British Columbia, and University of Colorado Boulder. These methods draw on extensive research in cognition and neuroscience that shows how to significantly improve learning. Upcoming activities include two webinars about these methods, featuring scholars on STEM pedagogy and faculty members at CIC institutions who have applied these methods in their teaching, as well as a grant program to revitalize science education in the classroom.
Many projects to revitalize teaching and learning on campus can achieve great impact with a small investment. CIC invites faculty members in STEM fields to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 to support activities to enrich science pedagogy in their courses and/or departments during the upcoming summer and fall semesters. Proposed uses may include (but are not limited to) course improvement assistance or professional development activities to advance or begin projects, such as hiring a student to assist in a course improvement project, hosting a teaching event for colleagues to showcase innovative pedagogy, inviting an external speaker to campus, or presenting at a conference on work related to a successful project
Proposed uses may include (but are not limited to) course improvement assistance or professional development activities to advance or begin projects., such as:
- Hiring a student to assist you in a course improvement project (e.g., materials development or revision, collecting information from other students about their experiences);
- A teaching event for colleagues to show one another what they have been working on in their courses (perhaps as a pilot to demonstrate the value of such events to your campus administration);
- Inviting an external speaker to run a session for your campus;
- Travel to present work related to a successful project at conferences or another campus; or
- Funding incentives for student focus groups to learn more about student experiences in your course and/or program.
Funds may not be used for stipends to faculty or released time or for the purchase of equipment. CIC will require a summary report that details the use of the funds.
Application Details
Applications will be evaluated by a review team at the CIC and it is anticipated that 15 grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Funding will be available in June 2024. A 1-2 page report on the outcomes of your proposed project will be due in December.
The nomination deadline is Friday, April 5, 2024.
Proposals should be submitted online as a single package and consist of the following components.
- A one-paragraph executive summary of the proposal;
- Statement of Support from the president or chief academic officer;
- A 1-2 page narrative that describes:
- A high-level description of the planned spending/activities that will be enabled by this funding;
- Need: Why other funding would not be available for this;
- Partnerships: proposed internal or external partners.
- Impact: What do you anticipate the outcome of this initiative will be? This might include any way the funds might be leveraged to make other funding go further; and
- Evaluation: How will you know you’ve achieved the goals of the project? (What would success look like?)
Contact Information
Questions about the seminar should be directed to Stephen Gibson, CIC director of programs, at sgibson@cic.edu or (202) 466-7230.