CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Academic Civic EngagementDevelopment Funds

OVERVIEW

The Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service announces a funds competition to support the development of service-learning courses; community-based research, professional development and training, and engaged departments in service-learning and civic engagement at GW. The Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service defines service-learning as an educational experience based upon a collaborative partnership between the university and the community that enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to meet genuine community needs.We define community-engaged scholarship as activities related to research and/or teaching that involve full collaboration of community partners and faculty and that address questions of public concern.

GOAL

The purpose of these awards is to promote the planning and institutionalization of new service-learning and academic civic engagement opportunities that are consistent with the University strategic plan. Faculty members are strongly encouraged to consult the Center’s staff in order to develop meaningful, reciprocal opportunities that will create sustainable relationships and meet genuine needs.

Faculty members who have their service-learning proposal selected for funding will participate in ongoing training, professional development activities, and an end-of-the-semester Symposium featuring their students’ service-learning work. In addition, faculty will share the end-products of their course—syllabus, assignments, and project outcomes—with the Center for future faculty development. Similarly, any research products or publications will be shared with the Center for dissemination.

Funds are available to support the development of service-learning and civic engagement opportunities at GW. The Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service is offering funds for:

  • Efforts to engage entire departments in curricular service engagement and community-based research
  • Activities that promote individual and group professional development in the area of civic engagement
  • Development of individual academic service-learning courses
  • Support ongoing academic service-learning activities
  • Community-Based Participatory Research

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS:

All proposals should be submitted by email to :

  1. A letter of intent that briefly explains the proposal, the serviceactivity/professional development/researchactivity and how it meetsthe goal for the service-learning/civic engagement opportunity that has been outlined in the proposal.
  2. A syllabus (service-learning specific requirement), letter of support from the chair, a timeline for projected activities should accompany proposals, and brief description of professional development plan.
  3. See below for additional guidance on what to include in proposals for Community -Based Participatory Research,Engaged Department, andProfessional Development and Traininggrants.
  4. A coversheet (form found at the end of document) must accompany each proposal.

Any questions can be directed to Maurice L. Smith

Conditions/Restrictions for all proposals:

  • Applications will be accepted from GW faculty or administrators who are regular full-time or part-time who can demonstrate a long-term commitment to GW.
  • All funds will be distributed to a departmental oracle account. If funds are requested to be directly distributed to the faculty member it will occur through supplemental pay and is subject to taxes.
  • Proposals are due February 25, 2015. Decisions onfunding will be made by March 13, 2015. Funds will be distributed by April 2015.
  • The proposal should be no less than 3 pages and no more than 5 pages.
  • If this proposal is for a course to be taught by an adjunct or for a new course at GW, further departmental approval and funding may be necessary and is the responsibility of the applicant to procure.
  • Accessibility Responsibilities:
    If your proposal is selected for funding, final documentation will contain the following statement with the signature of the proposal leader:

I acknowledge the University's commitment to providing an effective learning environment for all students. In furtherance of that commitment and to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), instructional materials should be designed in a manner that is equally effective for qualified students with disabilities, comparable in quality, timeliness of delivery and availability, and provided in a manner and medium appropriate to the significance of the message and the abilities of the student with disabilities receiving the material.

For questions regarding your obligations under this paragraph, please contact Christy Willis (), Director of Disability Support Services ( For information about how to make your materials accessible, please contact Patricia Dinneen

(), Senior Instructional Designer at the Teaching & Learning Collaborative (

Questions to consider for all proposals:

  • What kinds of activities/projects will students be assigned to do with the organization(s)?
  • What community need will these activities/projects/trainings meet? Why is this need important?
  • How will these service experiences support the learning objectives of your

course/department/university?

  • How will class discussions, writing assignments, labs, readings, discussions and other course activities encourage students to think critically by analyzing and reflecting on their service in the context of the course material?
  • How will you measure and demonstrate the success of your course/department/academic unit? End products? Surveys? Other indicators? Consider the outcomes for students, the impact on community need, and the effect on your community partner.

Proposal Option One: Engaged Department Grants

Supports plans to engage an entire department in the development of engaged scholarship/service-learning activities.Funds might be used support micro grants for course development or implementation; support faculty additional time or course release to act as a coordinator for service-learning to support colleagues in developing service-learning courses and research; training /seminars for service-learning and engagement.

Engaged Departments may apply for up to $10,000, which might include:

Faculty course development: $2500
Spur innovation within a sub-Department/Academic Unit: $1000
Support Community Partner Instructor (honorarium): $500

Support course implementation (supplies, transportation): $500

Coordinator supplement: as needed

High-quality proposals will demonstrate:

  1. Student learning objectives that will be met through service activities
  2. Potential for reciprocal and sustained partnership within the community
  3. Service that benefits individuals and communities in the DC metro region.
  4. Advance the priorities in the (draft) GW Strategic Plan[ (e.g., creating rigorous courses that integrate curricular and co-curricular activities; teaching strategies that promote student citizenship and leadership).

Proposal Option Two: Professional Development and Training Grants

  • Supports faculty professional development related to engaged scholarship, conference travel and registration for engaged scholarship/ service-learning conference or to present a paper on engaged scholarship/SL at another academic conference. Funds to create a seminar or other collaboration to explore the use of engaged teaching and research to address a community or social need. Funds to bring in a speaker on service-learning or engaged scholarship to work with faculty.
  • Proposed budget and budget narrative using the following guidelines:

Faculty Award: up to $2000 per faculty member

High-quality proposals will demonstrate:

  1. Learning objectives that will be met through training or participation in the conference/meeting
  2. Potential to advance reciprocal and sustained partnership between GW and the community
  3. Potential for GW to replicate or share the conference or training to better inform the work of the entire GW community

Proposal Option Three: Course Development Grants

  • Create or redesign a course to include service experience within the community.
  • Proposed budget and budget narrative using the following guidelines:

Faculty Award: $2500

Preference will be given to those course proposals that include the following:

  1. STEM discipline
  2. Academic Unit Cross Collaboration
  3. Advance priorities in the (draft) GW Strategic Plan

[ (e.g., creating rigorous courses that integrate curricular and co-curricular activities; teaching strategies that promote student citizenship and leadership; advance diversity and inclusion, intercultural competence)

  1. Engage K-12 schools in service-learning, especially focused on support of the National Mall and National Parks; and courses that address early childhood learning.

Proposal Option Four: CourseSupport Grants

  • Minigrant of $500 to faculty members teaching an academic service-learning course.

Funds can be used for:

  1. Suppliesfor the students
  2. Events with the partners
  3. Supplies the community partner might need
  4. Transportation
  5. Visitor and guest speaker honoraria
  6. Food for a reflection activity
  • Save your receipts and documentation,turn those in with a small description of what was done with the money as well as pictures and a narrative of your service activity and the Center will reimburse you up to five hundred dollars.

Proposal Option Five: Community-Based Participatory Research Grants

  • An essential contribution provided by an academic institution is the creation, gathering and dissemination of information within local, regional, national, and international communities. The Community-Based Participatory Research grant program aims to: advance research on significant social issues in collaboration with local residents that will provide potential solutions and enacting long-term, sustainable change in the community.
  • Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that promotes positive change. It involves an equitable relationship between residents, community organizations and university researchers that is reflected in all levels of project design and dissemination. CBPR is a partnership between community and university investigators in which each group contributes their expertise and they share equal ownership of the process and products of research collaboration.

Proposed budget and budget narrative using the following guidelines:

Faculty Award: up to $5000

Cover Sheet

Name: ______

Department: ______

Type of Grant: ______

Email & Phone number: ______

3- 5 sentence Abstract:

**This must accompany each proposal. Email to or **