Who Can Apply for a Level I Grant? 

Level I grants are open to all instructional staff in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Eligibility to apply for funding does not ensure that funding will be granted. Priority is given to faculty who wish to explore classroom innovation, even when they are not fully confident that the venture will succeed. The committee reviewing proposals welcomes efforts to extend the frontiers of technology use, even while it supports the broader use of proven technologies by all faculty across the college. Overall preference is given to proposals that will develop the instructional technology skills of instructors so that they may successfully apply them in classes and make ongoing contributions to undergraduate instruction in the college after the funded project is successfully completed.

Funding Guidelines

Among the items that may be included in the budget request are:

• Hourly wages for student assistants
  • Wages are flat amounts, benefits not included
    • Undergraduates: $15/hr
    • Graduate Students: $25/hr
• Software not available through LSA Technology Services
• Costs for digitizing images and texts
• Fees for access to databases
• One-time equipment purchase
• Consultant fees for technical support
• Supplies
• Project evaluation expenses

Items that require significant rationale to clarify exceptional circumstances:

• Travel and registration fees for relevant conferences, seminars, or workshops
• Faculty salary support
  • Faculty stipends are flat amounts, benefits not included
    • Lecturers: up to $15,000
    • Tenure track: up to $5,000
• Laptop and desktop computers

Items that may NOT be included in the budget request are:

• Cost of on-going cycle of replacements for equipment
• Tuition for student assistants

Applying for a Level I Grant

Proposals should be especially clear about the nature and significance of the project’s impact on undergraduate teaching. Proposals should describe:

• The technology to be explored or implemented
• The approach to be taken in developing the relevant expertise, or adopting the instructional innovation in new or existing courses
• How the project meets the priorities of this funding program
• How the success of the project will be evaluated

If your grant proposal is approved, a report on the project should be submitted within a year.

Complete the steps below to apply for a grant:
 

Decisions

Decisions on Level I proposals usually will be made within one month of submission.

Consultations & Resources

To ensure a successful proposal, faculty are encouraged to work with one of the college’s instructional technology consultants when developing their proposal. Consultants can assist faculty in learning about options, organizing ideas, refining the grant application, planning project implementation, creating assessment strategies. To arrange a consultation, faculty can contact:

• LSA Technology Services (Emily Ravenwood, eraven@umich.edu)
• Language Resource Center (Philomena Meechan, phili@umich.edu)