Request for Proposals Template

Request For Proposals Template

Request for Proposals Template

Announcement of Awards for Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program

The Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program (CI-STEP) at Indiana University-Purdue seeks faculty proposals for projects that promote graduation in STEM fields. The program has set a target of increasing the number of STEM graduates at IUPUI by 10% per year (an increase of an additional 782 STEM graduates by 2015). Proposals are due by October 15, 2011 to the Principal Investigator of the CI-STEP grant, Dr. Jeff Watt. His email is: . Projects may begin upon award and are to be completed by May 15, 2013. The awards for The Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program are supported by the National Science Foundation.

Purpose

The purpose of the Central Indiana STEM Talent Expansion Program (CI-STEP) is to increase retention, persistence, and graduation in STEM disciplines through projects that employ and assess the impact of several program-wide intervention strategies on student success, leading to higher numbers of students graduating with STEM degrees. These intervention strategies include: Summer STEM Bridge Academies, peer-mentoring and academic advising support for transfer students, Peer-led Teaching and Learning and Just-in-Time Teaching, Honor seminars, and Career Development services and internships. IUPUI, with its nationally recognized commitment to improving educational success for all students, has numerous support services already in place to assist with this initiative, making it possible for us to integrate research and education on effective strategies for student learning in STEM disciplines.

CI-STEP proposals are expected to help increase the numbers of students of all demographic groups who:

·  pursue STEM academic and career pathways;

·  participate in STEM research, industry internships, and honors activities;

·  graduate with an undergraduate degree in STEM fields; and

·  transition into industry, graduate and professional programs.

Proposals are welcome from all STEM disciplines. Proposals are encouraged from individuals or from faculty teams representing programs, departments; they may also involve collaborative projects with faculty members from IVY Tech and Butler University. Projects should propose significant interventions to promote retention, persistence and graduation in STEM disciplines.

Proposals must include the following three characteristics:

1.  The proposal must involve work that is above and beyond the normal requirements of the individual’s position(s); and

2.  Successful achievement of the objectives or outcomes will promote retention and persistence in STEM; and

3.  The proposal must clearly identify the methods to be used for assessing outcomes.

Proposals that have one or more of the following characteristics are especially encouraged and will receive priority consideration:

·  Seeking awards ranging between $5,000 - $25,000

·  Involve collaborators;

·  Have immediate impact on a broad range students.

·  Demonstrate Innovativeness, Effectiveness and Inclusiveness

Proposals that have the following characteristics are discouraged and will receive lower priority:

·  Seeking funding for Capital Goods

·  Research

·  Conferences

Eligibility

All full- and part-time faculty members at IUPUI, Ivy Tech and Butler are eligible. Individual faculty members pursuing teaching innovation projects are encouraged to include at least one other faculty or staff member in some capacity; for example, as an outside peer reviewer for the project, a consultant on instructional design, or an administrative partner to overcome barriers.

Funding

Awards will be limited to $25,000 (may range from $5,000 to $25,000)

Application/Implementation Timeline

Proposals might be implemented over one or two semesters, and may or may not include work to be done in summer.

Proposal Submission and Review Process

Step 1. Your college dean reviews and approves the proposal.

Your SUPERVISING ADMINISTRATOR, i.e., Head of Department, must review your proposal and APPROVE IT OR SUBMIT A LETTER OF SUPPORT: A letter of support might show how the proposal fits college plans and priorities, as well as how it will be supported by the administrator. If the proposal is dependent on resources in addition to the Award, the letter of support should explicitly indicate the dean’s commitment to providing any proposed or assumed college resources. For part-time, temporary or fixed-term faculty members, the letter of support must give some assurance that the faculty member will be able to complete the proposed project within the stated timeframe.

Step 2. The College Award for Excellence Committee reviews and approves the proposal.

The CI-STEP Project Award Review Committee will review and approve the proposal after the supervising administrator’s written approval is obtained. The committee may accept, reject, or make suggestions on how to improve the proposal to make it acceptable. Rejected proposals and proposals with improvement suggestions shall be returned to the proposer(s).

The committee will use the guidelines below under “Review Criteria” in evaluating proposals. The first three criteria are required of all awards for CI-Step proposals.

Step 3. If approved, you begin the proposed work or project after receipt of notice from the Project PI or designee.

You will receive a letter of notification from the Project PI that your project (as proposed, or as modified, if the committee requested modifications) is approved. The letter will identify the monetary award to be paid upon successful completion.

Review Criteria

1.  Work is above and beyond the normal requirements of the individual’s position(s): It is recognized that a faculty member’s normal responsibilities include classroom teaching, student advising, course evaluation, classroom preparation, the evaluation of student performance, committee assignments, classroom research, professional development, service to the college, and community service. The Award for CI-STEP is to given for work:

·  performed at a time outside the normal work hours or duty days, or

·  involving an activity not normally required, or

·  encompassing a scope of activities not normally required.

2.  Promotion of Retention, Persistence and Graduation: Goals and objectives prioritize student learning and successful achievement of students’ personal and career goals in STEM disciplines. There is a clear relationship between the performance objectives or project goals, the plan of work and methods, and the intended student learning outcomes.

3.  Evaluation and Assessment Methods: An appropriate selection of assessment strategies and tools are used throughout the proposed performance period/project. The evaluation plan is clearly connected to program or course learning goals and outcomes.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their ideas with CI-STEP project administrators before applying. Please allow enough time (at least 1-2 weeks) before the deadline for your application to be reviewed and approved by CI-STEP Project review committee. All applications must follow the format below.

Applications must be received by October 15, 2011 (for full consideration) and must include:

1.  Cover Sheet

2.  Project narrative

3.  Budget summary and budget narrative

4.  Letter of support from Administrator

5.  Certification page

Submit your proposal via e-mail to: CI-STEP Awards Review Committee, c/o

Cover Sheet

Title of the Project

Principal investigators

Departments

Date

Proposal Content

Proposal Section / Proposal should address: / Suggested Length /
Amount Requested / How much funding is being sought?
Project Description / What issue or problem is being addressed?
What are your goals and methods?
What activities will address your goals?
How is the project innovative for your own development, your program or the college?
Who will be involved: how many faculty, students, etc.? / 1-2 pages
Rationale/ Evidence / Why is the project important? How do you know it is important, what is your evidence (i.e., how has the issue or problem been documented)?
What are the conditions or contexts in which the project will be taking place?
What is the need, both locally and in a system or national context?
How is the project linked to college and/or CI-STEP priorities and initiatives?
How will this project increase the number of students who pursue STEM academic and career pathways?
How will this project increase the numbers of students who participate in STEM research, industry internships and/or honors activities?
How will this project increase the number of students who graduate with an undergraduate degree in STEM fields?
How will this project increase the number of students who transition to industry, graduate and professional STEM programs?
How will the innovation or change be sustained after the project funding has ended? / 1 page
Anticipated difficulties / What kinds of hurdles or limitations do you expect to encounter?
How would you address them? / 1 paragraph
Timeline of Activities / When are activities planned?
How can you assure the project will be completed within the proposed timeframe? / 1 page
Outcomes / What specific outcomes* do you want to achieve?
How will your planned activities achieve these outcomes?
How will your plan promote retention, persistence and graduation in STEM?
*Each outcome must be matched to an assessment in your evaluation plan. / 1 page
Evaluation plan / How will success be measured?
How will you know that you have achieved your outcomes?
What kind of evidence will you gather?
What kinds of assessments will you use?
Is there an assessment matched to each outcome?
What is the impact on campus or the surrounding community? / ½ - 1 page
Dissemination / With whom will you share this information?
How will the project be shared with others? Consider campus professional development days, conference presentations, articles, electronic portfolio.
How will [list members of campus, discipline/program, or system community] be included or informed of the dissemination? / 1 paragraph
Budget / How much money will the entire project require?
What resources, equipment, or other funding are you requesting from other sources?
How did you arrive at this budget?
Does the budget include up to 12% for administrative overhead (if required by your college or university)? / ½-1 page
Total / 5-8 pages

Budget Narrative and Budget Summary

Please use the table below to organize your proposal’s budget information, or create your own grid using the budget categories below. Write a brief description of each budget item, then, attach a brief (less than one-page) budget narrative describing and justifying each item in detail. See Budget Preparation Guidelines in Appendix 1

Budget Summary

Budget
Category / Brief
Description / Request / Matching Funds* / Total Budget
PI (s)
Name(s):
Other Faculty Stipends
Name(s):
Travel
Student Stipends
Equipment
Materials/Supplies
Other
TOTAL

* You must identify the source of any matching funds.

Certification Signatures

Based on the criteria for eligibility in the CI-STEP Award Guidelines, I am eligible to apply. I understand and agree that a written final report, including how the objectives and/or goals have been achieved, is due as stated in the Guidelines. I will provide a copy of my report to the CI-STEP Project Review Committee, and the Head of the Department. I understand that unless there exists a law characterizing some portion of the information submitted as private, proposals will be treated as public information on submission in accordance with the Data Practices Act.

Applicant Signature ______Date ______

Approving Administrator Signature ______Date ______

Appendix 1

Budget Preparation Guidelines

Budget Category / Guidelines & Policies
Project Manager(s) / Funding Requested:
Other Faculty Stipends / Stipends up to a maximum of $500 for any one incident may be requested for faculty partners on this proposal. Substantial collaboration between faculty members should be addressed by separate proposals for each individual. The separate proposals should clearly identify the collaborating partners.
Travel / Costs directly related to the project or associated with collaborating with other employees (meals, lodging, and mileage) will be considered. Requests for travel to attend conferences or training institutes are rarely funded. Professional development funds may be used as match. IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALL FUNDS.
Student Stipends / Estimate number of student hours that will be paid (at campus rates) for assistance directly related to the project. Students may also receive nominal stipends for non-classroom activities related to the grant project. IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALL FUNDS.
Equipment / Equipment, hardware and software that is directly relevant to the proposed project will be considered. Requests whose budgets are primarily for equipment will ordinarily not be funded without extraordinary justification. Equipment is generally worth $5,000 or more and has a usable life of at least two years. IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALL FUNDS.
Materials/Supplies / Special project supplies, which may include printing, copying, postage, long distance telephone. IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALL FUNDS.
Other / Other costs directly related to your project. IDENTIFY SOURCES OF ALL FUNDS.

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