Grants and Awards
Teaching Innovation Grant
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The Teaching Innovation Grant was first established in 2019 and support the development of new and innovative pedagogical methods at the classroom and program levels.
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Applicants should submit the following:
- Current curriculum vitae
- A 2-3 page proposal with projected expenses,
- Sample syllabi
- Letter of support from the applicant’s Department Chair
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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 22, 2024
Applications for the Teaching Innovation Grant must be submitted by
April 14, 2024. -
2023
General Category:
- Jonathan Fingerut (GEP Nat Science),
- Kristen Burr (French for Healthcare),
- Nathaniel Bulthuis (Personhood in Islamic Phil),
- Kristi Grimes (Gender, Sexuality and Race in Italian Art & Language)
Co-authored Category: [NEW]:
- Shaun Varrecchia, Woei-Nan Bair; Eric Folkins et al. (Department of Physical Therapy, first semester integrated learning)
2022
General Category
- Kaitlin Moran
- Aubrey Wang
Team-taught Honors Courses Category
- Lisa Baglione and Melissa Chakars
- Andrew Payne and Jason Powell
- Julie Deluty and James O’Sullivan
- Emily Hage and Kersti Powell
2021
General Category
- Nancy Fox
- Chunrye Kim
- Joe Ragan
- Mollie Sheppard
- Rachael Sullivan
- Tim Swift
2020
General Category
- Kersti Powell
- Nate Bulthius
- Aaron Reich
- Nancy Fox
2019
General Category
- Elizabeth Becker
- Thomas Martin
Leahy Award
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This endowed award is a long time tradition from USciences and the poster session for the award energizes and encourages other faculty to innovate in their own classes.
This award was established in memory of Patricia Leahy, a Physical Therapy faculty member at University of the Sciences (Usciences), to acknowledge faculty's innovative efforts to increase their students' learning. For almost a decade, an anonymous donor annually supported the Patricia Leahy InnOvations with Learning (OWL) award at USciences. In 2004 the donor established an endowment to continue this award in perpetuity. After a terrible accident, Patricia Leahy was our donor's physical therapist. He felt that Patricia Leahy was especially helpful to get him to walk again. Soon after that Patricia Leahy was unable to conquer her own personal tragedy. To memorialize a truly innovative teacher, our donor, Dr. Charles Gibley, supported the InnOvations with Learning award and it became the Patricia Leahy OWL award. To more accurately reflect the purpose of the award, the name was changed to the Patricia Leahy Award for Learning Innovations.
Faculty members' use of new instructional strategies typically require much planning time, a willingness to take risks, reflection on what is happening, and an ability to make changes when necessary. As the title implies, this award's emphasis is on innovations that increase student learning.
One of the original purposes of the award was to recognize faculty who are experimenting with their teaching and to provide a dissemination vehicle for their innovative idea. A higher goal of the award is to recognize faculty who are implementing large scale innovations, or ones with a great impact on student learning.
The winner(s) will be recognized with a plaque and a cash award of $1000
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Applicants should submit the following:
- A description of the rationale or goals of the innovative educational activity
- A description of the innovation and its implementation
- A discussion of the impact of the innovation on student learning, including learning outcomes,
- A reflection on the reason/s for the observed impact. This should include an analysis of how the innovation was improved over time and how this innovation will be used in the future: either improved upon or implemented as is
- A description of student reaction to the innovation.
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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 22, 2024
Applications for the Leahy Award must be submitted by
April 14, 2024
Bright Idea Award
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The Bright Idea Award is a long time tradition from USciences and the poster session for the award energizes and encourages other faculty to innovate in their own classes.
This award is for bright, innovative ideas about how to teach better, both in traditional classes, online environments, and in experiential settings. Unlike the Leahy Award, this award can be for a small innovation such as a different type of peer evaluation or a new assignment. This award does not require that the effectiveness of the innovation be thoroughly assessed.
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Applicants should submit the following:
- An original idea or an adaptation of an idea tried elsewhere that seems to work with our students.
- A clear description of the innovation both in writing in the abstract and on the poster.
- Assessment data is not necessary for submission.
- Anyone whose abstract is accepted is expected to present a poster at the Teaching and Learning Forum on 5/21/24.
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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 22, 2024
Applications for the Bright Idea Award must be submitted by
April 14, 2024.
Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation
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The Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation is an award that recognizes the outstanding contributions of our adjunct faculty to teaching and learning at our university. This award aims to honor adjuncts who have demonstrated innovative teaching practices such as inclusive teaching pedagogies or online teaching approaches, and a commitment to student success. The award comes with a $250 prize and a plaque.
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Department chairs should do the following:
- Nominate one or more adjuncts from within their department
- To nominate an adjunct, department chairs should submit a letter of nomination to their respective Dean
- The deans will then select one nominee from each college to receive the award.
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Deans should submit the name of their selected awardee to the Office of Teaching and Learning by May 3, 2024. Awardees will be notified by our office and invited to attend the Teaching and Learning Forum on May 21, 2024, where they will be presented with the award.