School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education

RELEASED XXXX

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER

ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIPPILOT GRANT PROGRAM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PILOT Program Purpose

The School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education announces the availability of funding to support pilotinitiatives that establish or enhance UW-Whitewater relationships with community partners in Southeastern Wisconsin for the purpose of addressing critical regional needs. Proposals may request up to $5,000per project. Applications will be accepted from UW-Whitewater faculty and/or staff members who agree to serve in the role of principal investigator (PI). The deadline for applications is 1 December2017, with all awards requiring expenditure by 30 June 2019. Up to six awards will be available.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Proposals are sought for pilot projects that establish or build upon previously developed partnerships/collaborations with community partners or which foster mutually beneficial relationships between UW-Whitewater and the region. All proposals should have the broader intentions of addressing critical regional needs and embrace a collaborative process of designing, implementing and evaluating the project with their community partner(s). Proposals are expected to demonstrate:

  • a clear commitment from their community partner to fully collaborate in the project
  • how the project benefits UWW, the community partner, and the region?

Proposal that integratethe following will be given special consideration:

  • involve those student populations served by SGSCE (graduate students, adult students and veteran students)
  • are interdisciplinary and involve faculty and students from different academic departments
  • are designed as engaged scholarship projects and identify plans for publication of project results
  • are new outreach initiatives
  • are pilots for which the PI and community partners will seek additional funding sources in order to sustain the project.

ELIGIBILITY

Proposals are invited from UW-Whitewater faculty and/or staff members who agree to serve as the PI.

Definitions of engaged scholarship

Scholarship of Engagement (or Outreach) (in the higher education context)1: In his 1996 article in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Public Service and Outreach (now the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement), Ernest Boyer coined the term “scholarship of engagement” to represent work across the four scholarship models that would involve engagement with communities for the benefit of communities. For Boyer, scholarship of engagement applied to the scholarship of discovery, integration, application, and teaching.

Engaged scholarship refers to faculty/staff projects satisfying three criteria:

  • Involves a community
  • Benefits a community and
  • Advances the faculty/staff member’s scholarship

Salient feature/values of engaged scholarship:

  • Engaged scholarship includes discovery, application and integration but not teaching
  • Engaged scholarship is carried out with and in the community and not just on the community
  • Genuine partnership draws on the assets of all partners and recognize that there is knowledge in the community that can be tapped to advance knowledge

TERMS and Conditions

  1. Proposals may request up to $5,000per project.
  2. A final project report must be submitted by 30 June 2019.

Selection and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated in terms of the degree to which the proposal: 1) clearly identifies a regional need to address and collaborates with a community partner to establish a year-long plan to address the issue 2) stands to feasibly accomplish the project’s stated objectives3) has the capacity for long-term impact for the community partner, the clients it serves, for the region and for UW-Wstudents;and 4) is a pilot with potential to establish a sustainable relationship with a community partner within the region.

Proposals will be evaluated on the criteria listed on page 4 using the following scale:

1Inadequate

Poor

Average

Good

10Excellent

PROPOSAL REVIEW AND AWARDS

Complete proposals submitted to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) by the deadline date and time will be distributed to the review committee. Proposals will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Outreach Council. Proposals will be highly recommended, recommended or not recommended. Proposals may be collectively ranked in priority order.

ORSP will forward the committee’s recommendations to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education who will make the final determinations. The Dean will convey the results directly to the applicants. The communication will include budget information.

DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-Application Deadline / Project Period / Review Decision Notification
1 December 2017 / 1 January 2018 –
30 June 2019 / 15 December 2017

Applicants must submit copy electronically the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education by 4:30 pm on the deadline addressed to Carrie Lencho, Continuing Education().

Applicants should direct questions regarding this program to Seth Meisel, InterimDean, School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education, via telephone (262-472-1013) or email ().

PILOT PROPOSAL FORMAT

Applicants should use a font no smaller than 11 point, and limit the pre-proposal text to no more than two single-spaced pages using the Engaged Scholarship Proposal Form. Each section is limited in the number of words allowed, so descriptions should be brief. No appendices may be included. The proposal must address the sections listed below.

  • Project Description, Objectives, and Timeline. Briefly describe the project, goals and objectives, key personnel, and timetable/schedule of activities. Applicants also should provide information on the connection between the proposed project and the Engaged Scholarship Grant Program focus areas. Finally, applicants should describe the role of the partner organization.
  • Project Impact. Describe the long-term impact to schools and school districts, as well as other constituencies and beneficiaries. Discuss how the project goals and objectives as well as project impact will be assessed. Finally, present a detailed plan that describes the project’s ability to build capacity and establish sustainable relationships with the partnering organization.
  • Budget and Budget Narrative. Outline key expenses and projected amounts. Describe the method(s) for arriving at these amounts. Tie the budget categories and line items to the project goals, objectives, and timetable/schedule of activities.

REVIEW CRITERIA / RUBRIC

1 / 5 / 10
Inadequate / Poor / Average / Good / Excellent
Project Description Objectives & Timeline / Discussion of project goals and objectives is not included. There is no explanation of how project objectives will be achieved. No evidence that the proposal author assembled or will assemble the project components necessary for success is presented. / The discussion of project goals and objectives is incomplete. There is little explanation of how project objectives will be achieved. Author has assembled some necessary project components. A partial description of scheduled activities is provided. Project feasibility is uncertain. / The project goals and objectives are thoroughly described. How project objectives will be achieved is clearly explained. The project director has assembled all project components necessary to achieve goals and objectives and a clear timeline.
Project Benefits and Impact / Long-term Impact to community partner is not clearly described. Key constituencies are not identified. Not clear how university students or the region would benefit. Significance not stated or unclear. / Impact is short-term or limited to a small set of beneficiaries. Key constituencies are identified. Benefit to the region is incomplete or unclear / Discussion of the long-term impact is comprehensive. Detailedinformation regarding the impact on beneficiaries is provided. Significance is clearly stated in practical terms. Mutual benefit to the region and campus is comprehensive and well defined.
Budget and Budget Narrative / Key expenses are neither described nor justified. The method(s) for arriving at proposedexpense categories / amounts is not provided. / Key expenses are described and justified. The method(s) for arriving at budgeted expense is provided. Cost is relatively high compared to the impact. / Key expenses are fully described and justified. The method(s) for arriving at budgeted expense categories / amounts is clearly explained. Budget is directly connected to project description and timetable. Cost is relatively low compared to the impact.

Engaged Scholarship Grant Program RFP 1