Educational Research Call for Proposal

Investigating the impact of innovations in postsecondary teaching and learning

The Center for Academic Innovation invites University of Michigan faculty, staff, and graduate students to apply for research grants to support projects that foster the future of higher education through innovation. Proposals should consider how the focus of the work aligns with the Center’s mission and core principles, and discuss how outcomes will complement our ongoing research and analytics work.

Deadline

Research Priorities

We are eager to support a robust portfolio of research initiatives across the U-M community, and are particularly interested in scholarly work that may elevate the following topics:

• Experimenting with the use and implications of generative AI technologies in postsecondary teaching 
• Studying the use of technology to advance student success
• Investigating the accessibility, impact, and/or efficacy of XR-enhanced learning experiences 
• Exploring the potential of open learning experiences for supporting undergraduate student success 

In addition to these topical priorities, we also hope to support research initiatives with the following attributes:

• Designed to center diversity, equity, and inclusion in both topic foci and research design
• Led by early-career researchers, to include postdoctoral scholars and others in the first 1-4 years after earning their terminal degree
• Led by colleagues who expand the academic innovation community, including those working in student affairs and the co-curricular aspects of postsecondary learning environments.

Examples of past funded projects include efforts to: use data from prior semesters to understand how students experienced innovative pedagogy; experiment with technology to enable immersive and engaging learning experiences; and hear directly from students and instructors about their needs and interests. Projects that highlight innovation in both topic and research design  are encouraged. Projects that center on diversity, equity, and inclusion will be prioritized for funding.

Available Funding and Support

Approved proposals will receive up to $25,000 to fund research projects and in-kind support in the form of consultation from our educational research and data science experts.

While not an exhaustive list, funding could be used for: 

• Compensating students/postdocs/contractors
• Salary support for faculty
• Transcription services
• Software fees
• Open access fees
• Stock photography

Conference attendance/travel is not supported at this time. Funding can also be tied to other received grants. You are encouraged to highlight how a CAI research grant is necessary. For instance, is it new work that is coming out of a previously funded project? Is this grant intended to kick off work and then lead to additional funding?

Proposal Submission Process

Proposal Criteria

Excellent proposals will: describe how the proposed research project aligns with CAI priorities, include clear research questions, outline the data sources and methodologies to be used with attention to project feasibility, and highlight how this work can impact teaching and learning. 

Timeline

• Call for Proposals Open: February 23, 2024
• Final Proposal Deadline: March 15, 2024

Please review the application form and submit to [email protected] by March 15, 2024. Notices regarding status will be sent out no more than four weeks after the proposal deadline.

FAQs

What are examples of types of projects that would be well-suited for a Center for Academic Innovation research grant?

• Pilot studies of implementing new technology or pedagogy in the classroom
• Experiments or approaches you’ve tried out in your classroom, but have not yet had a chance to study
• Secondary analysis of an educational dataset

Conference attendance/travel is not supported at this time. Please ask if you have questions regarding what this money can be used for.

What do I need to produce as a report on this work?

We would like to receive a final version of any publications or presentations you produce via this funding. We also understand that while many of the things explored with this funding may not be quite ready for publication, we would very much like to learn from the work you have done. With that goal in mind, we ask that all projects share a 3-4 page summary of work, describing what work was done, what was discovered, what you see as next steps for this work, and any challenges faced to enable us to support others better in doing this work. Ideally this document would be shared with CAI within 2 months following the conclusion of the work, but no later than one year after the grant award.

In addition, we invite you to contribute to knowledge sharing and institutional learning in one or more of the following ways:

• Give an Innovation Insights Research presentation (public talk to the U-M community)
• Share the work with a guest authored story on the CAI website describing the work done and initial findings
• Join CAI staff for an informal talk to share out your work and what you learned

We are happy to brainstorm other ways for you to share your work back with us – and will customize as appropriate for the project.