MISSION

The University of San Francisco is committed to the highest standards of learning and scholarship precisely as a Jesuit institution whose mission demands that these activities include the integration of faith and the promotion of justice within the life of the academy.

The Foundation, established by a gift from the USF Jesuit Community, has as its purpose helping USF become more a university by engaging and fostering its Catholic identity. Because that identity depends considerably upon the depth and presence of Ignatian spirituality within the institution, the Foundation encourages the integration of Ignatian spirituality with the programs and structures that sustain the character and life of the University.

Toward this end, endowment income is to be used to fund several types of activity:

  • Opportunities that offer greater theoretical and experiential knowledge of Ignatian spirituality.
  • Academic programming, curriculum development, and research projects which bespeak USF’s Jesuit, Catholic mission. Included under this category is support for appropriate work by USF’s own faculty; for lectures, faculty seminars, conferences and colloquia; and for bringing Jesuits to campus as visiting professors and scholars.
  • The establishment of a series of interdisciplinary dialogues to examine the major issues of the times from the perspective of those who are poor or marginalized, with their participation in the dialogue itself. This activity is central to the Foundation's mission.

 GENERAL CRITERIA

The general criteria for grants are expressed in the Mission Statement of the USF Jesuit Foundation. They characterize the university as a community of scholars dedicated to integrated learning in the Jesuit tradition:

  • By supporting teaching and scholarship of high quality, grants will encourage integrated education in the Jesuit tradition, and a commitment to educating men and women of competence and conscience.
  • The Foundation will fund projects that critically examine and link the theory and practice of Jesuit education in ways that vitalize its 450-year tradition in the context of USF's evolving multicultural milieu.

The USF Jesuit Foundation is grounded in five aspects of the Ignatian and Jesuit vision:

  • The Ignatian ideal of "finding God in all things." For the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius of Loyola, all of reality was an arena of God's self-revelation.
  • The practical spirituality of The Spiritual Exercises. This way of Christian prayer, developed by Ignatius, is premised in the belief that one can discover God's presence in one's life and the freedom to respond to that presence though a series of prayer exercises and personal conversations.
  • The focus on education of the whole person that seeks to integrate all aspects of individuality: the intellectual, moral, spiritual, affective, aesthetic, physical, and social. This approach to education is holistic and calls on the learner to reflect on his or her experience in the context of the larger community.
  • The magis, seeking what is more. In the University context, this dimension of the Ignatian tradition calls for passionate engagement in social analysis and commitment to rigorous research in the academic sphere.
  • The commitment to faith that works for justice in the world. The intellectual aspect of faith in God inevitably drives beyond itself. It necessarily seeks an engagement with persons prevented from fulfilling the divine purpose of full integration by oppressive social systems and unjust structural realities.

These criteria are not meant to restrict proposals to religious or spiritual themes. Jesuit education has historically endorsed a wide range of humanistic, artistic, scientific and technical activities that help society and nature to flourish. It is inspired by the confidence that God is glorified wherever creation becomes fully alive. The Foundation is premised on the belief that all members of the University community, regardless of their religious affiliation, can make important contributions to the evolving Catholic and Jesuit identity of USF.

 SPECIFIC CRITERIA

Within the basic mission, the Foundation offers USF faculty and staff funding to explore the implications of Ignatian and Jesuit spirituality in the ongoing life of the University in its dialogue with contemporary culture.

Each grant proposal should explain how it is consonant with the overall mission of the Foundation or is related to the exploration of one of the following fivethemes:

Ignatian Spirituality Grants
may be used to fund workshops, lectures, or retreats that provide an experiential knowledge of the Ignatian tradition.
Proposals for Ignatian Spirituality Grants should be accompanied by a letter of support or recommendation from a staff member’s immediate supervisor orfrom a faculty member’s dean (or associate dean for Arts & Sciences faculty). / Pedagogy Grants
are intended to support or develop pedagogical projects that relate to the Foundation's mission. These grants can be used to support new course development or revision of existing courses, including summer stipends (up to $5,000). They can also support the development of co-curricular activities that further the Catholic and Jesuit character of USF. Faculty or staff development workshops are some of the types of activities the grants will support.
Proposals for Pedagogy Grants should also discuss the anticipated impact of the project on student learning and the curriculum. They should include a letter of endorsement from the applicant's departmental chairanddean (or associate dean for Arts & Sciences faculty).
Proposals for Pedagogy Grants presuppose the development of courses that will be offered on an on-going basis. / Research Grants
may be used to support or develop a scholarly project that relates to the Foundation's mission. These grants will fund research assistance, travel, scholarly resources, summer stipends (up to $2,500), and conference expenses.
 Proposals for Research Grants should include a detailed description of the research objectives and their significance for the University and relationship to the Foundation's mission. It is recognized that USF Faculty Development Funds may also appropriately fund some research relevant to the goals of the Foundation, and in such cases, applicants are encouraged to seek partial funding from both sources.
 Proposals for Research Grants should include a letter of endorsement from the applicant's dean orvice president. If several USF faculty and/or staff members are applying for a joint grant, the extent of participation of each person should be delineated in the application. Arts & Sciences faculty may get a letter of support from their associate dean rather than their dean.
 Research proposals involving human subjects need prior approval from the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. A copy of the IRB approval must be included with the proposal. / Community-in-Conversation Grants
may be used to fund interdisciplinary dialogues that examine the major issues of the times from the perspective of those who are poor and insure their participation in the dialogue itself. In its first century of existence, USF was a vital participant in such conversations with the Catholic immigrant communities of the Bay Area. In its second century, it remains committed to engage in conversations with the disenfranchised and the underserved throughout the West. Grants in this area, for example, might be used to bring together faculty from various disciplines, students, neighborhood leaders and community members, not only to reflect on theoretical issues, but also to create an opportunity—an urbanlaboratory—for community action and exchange.
Proposals for Community-in-ConversationGrants should include a letter of intent to participate from the partnering community institution or organization as well as a letter of endorsement from the applicant's dean (or associate dean for Arts & Sciences faculty) or vice president. If several USF faculty and/or staff members are applying for a joint grant, the extent of participation of each person should be delineated in the application. / Immersion Accompaniment Grants
may be used to cover the travel costs (up to $3,000) of a full time faculty member who intends to accompany a group of students on a USF sponsored immersion experience to a developing country.
Proposals for an Immersion Accompaniment Grant should include a detailed description of the immersion program, its intended outcomes, the role of the accompanying faculty member, and adescription of the follow-up activities the faculty member will undertake upon his/ her return to campus, e.g. presentations to groups, meetings with students, etc.
Proposals should include a letter of support from the faculty member's dean (or associate dean for Arts & Sciences faculty).
Proposals should also include a letter of support from the individual at USF who is organizing and supervising the immersion experience.

 PROPOSAL FORMAT and CONTENTS

  • Grant application forms are available on the web at
  • Along with the Grant Application Coversheet, the Budget sheet and the required letter of support from the applicant’s dean or supervisor (see “Specific Criteria” on page 3), applications for USF Jesuit Foundation grants must contain a written proposal which should not exceed 5 single-spaced pages and a font size of 12. The written proposal should include the following:

(1) the project title;

(2) a statement of the project's purpose and relationship to the Foundation's mission;

(3) desired methodology, outcomes and assessment standards;

(4) the timetable for completing the project;

(5) the relationship to the applicant's past and future experience, research, or teaching;

  • The itemized budget sheet found at the end of the application form must be included. Please include justification for each budgeted item, including printed estimates from catering (Bon Appétit) or any travel source as needed.
  • Please DO NOT attach supplemental descriptions of the project or any additional letters of support other than the letter(s) required (see “Specific Criteria” on page 3).
  • Please use the checklist on the Grant Application Coversheet (appended) to mark that all sectionsare included with submission of proposal and Grant Proposal Budget sheet.
  • The foundation will only consider one proposal per applicant in each funding cycle. Although applicants can submit proposals in successive cycles, preference will be given to applicants who were not funded in the previous cycle.

ELIGIBILITY – please note changes to eligibility

  • Eligibility is limited to current full-time USF faculty and staff. Part-time faculty and staff are welcome to co-author a grant proposal with a current full-time USF faculty or staff person.
  • Individuals who have received previous grant funding must have successfully completed that funded project and submitted a summary report and an itemized expense report with copies of receipts in order to be eligible for future grants. Summary reports are due to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and must include an accounting of the expenses of the project. See the “Final Notes” section on page 6 for more details.

Please note: Pedagogy grants are considered completed once the course has been approved by the College Curriculum Committee.

  • Research proposals must include a copy of IRB approval if applicable.

 BUDGET INFORMATION and CRITERIA

  • Applications must include the budget sheet provided at the end of this document.
  • Proposals ordinarily will be funded up to a total of $5,000 for Ignatian Spirituality Grants, Pedagogy Grants, Research Grants and Community-in-Conversation Grants and up to a total of $3,000 for Immersion Accompaniment Grants.
  • Funds must be used within one year of the time the grant is awarded.
  • Faculty and staff are eligible for stipends only for periods not covered by an employment contract.
  • Grants may not be used to replace full-time faculty in the classroom. Funds are not awarded for course reductions, sabbatical projects, tuition remission, or equipment replacement.
  • Student hourly wages requested above the prevailing rate should be justified (please contact the Office of Student Employment for the standard student pay rate for the academic year, ext. 6770). Please note: Students receiving academic credit for their work are not eligible for funding.
  • Per diem expenditures are to be calculated using the US Government standards found in the following website:
  • Applications for travel grants must include a lowest available coach fare quote from Expedia.com or Travelocity.com. Travel grant requests will not be considered without such documentation, printed directly from the Travelocity.com or Expedia.com website.
  • Applications that include catering costs must be accompanied by an estimate from University Catering/Bon Appétit.
  • Applications for projects that contain multiple phases should include a description of how subsequent phases will be funded. Please note: the Jesuit Foundation does not fund multiple phases of the same project.

 APPLICATION DEADLINES

Grant proposals are due:

FALL semesters, NOVEMBER 1 (or the following Monday if the 1stfalls on a Saturday or Sunday)

SPRING semesters,APRIL 1 (or the following Monday if the 1st falls on a Saturday or Sunday)

All materials - the application and all supporting documents - must be received electronically by 5:00 p.m. on the due date to be considered. Proposals should be sent as pdf files to

All applicants will be notified in writing by the Provost of the Jesuit Foundation Advisory Board’s decision by December 15th for Fall applicants, and May 15th for Spring applicants.

 FINAL NOTES

  • Applicants are encouraged to consult with any member of the Jesuit Foundation Advisory Board (listed below) before submitting a proposal:

Timothy Godfrey, S.J. –Rector, Jesuit Community (Chair)

Jeff Dillon, S.J. – Assistant Professor, School of Education

Leslie Goldgehn - Professor, School of Business and Professional Studies

Catherine Horiuchi – Assistant Professor, School of Business and Professional Studies

Sonny Manuel, S.J. – Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Giovanni Meloni – Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

  • All grantees are required to submit to the Office of the Provost within six months of completion of the project the following:

a written assessment of their work or project, in light of the outcomes and assessment standards stated in the application. Please note: pedagogy grants are not considered complete until the course developed has been approved by the College Curriculum Committee;

a detailed accounting of the funds spent;

Please note that resulting publications should acknowledge the Foundation's sponsorship. Likewise, any seminar, workshop, and/or conference should acknowledge the Foundation’s sponsorship.