Pilot Project & One Time Grant

Immersive learning projects are high-impact learning experiences that involve collaborative student-driven teams, guided by faculty mentors. Students earn credit for working with community partners such as businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to address community challenges through the creation of a product that has a lasting impact.

Implementation Criteria:

• Community-Engaged: The class works with a community partner (local or national non-profit, business, government agency, school, etc.) with the faculty member acting as mentor, liaison, and guide.
  
  
• Collaborative: Students work together on teams.
  
  
• Project-Based: Student teams create an outcome or deliverable that addresses a community-identified issue.

• One course buyout (release) OR one summer stipend for up to two faculty members leading the project to support immersive learning project development, implementation, and reporting. Course buyouts and summer stipends are subject to approval by the department chair and must be in compliance with relevant department, college, and university policies. 

  • Immersive learning course buyouts are $3000 + fringe ($960). Course buyouts cannot result in or be in addition to an overload, nor can course buyouts be for the summer. Course buyouts are paid to the department. 

  • Summer stipends are $2500 + fringe ($525), paid to the faculty member.

• Travel costs for faculty and students to complete the project.

  • Faculty and students can request travel money for site visits, conferences, and workshops during the semester in which the project occurs. (Any post-project travel requests supporting faculty and student professional and/or conference travel related to the funded project may be made under the Immersive Learning Travel Grant program.)

• Consultants and other subject matter experts who can enhance understanding of the field, industry, trends, etc. Please download the budget template for more guidance.
  
  
• Student and/or faculty training including skill development, industry or discipline certifications, simulations, or other activities that enhance the learning experience or prepare the faculty mentor to teach the class. Grant funds will cover up to 50% of faculty certification training, and the rest will be covered by faculty or their department.
  
  
• Supplies, materials, and equipment to complete the project

  • Please note that special conditions and/or procedures may apply for any supplies and equipment meant to be utilized on off-campus properties.

  • If a project needs any type of licensed software, One-Time Grants may pay for only one year of a license agreement.

• Student worker(s) or graduate assistant(s) to help with the class. Applicants must provide a full description of duties in the budget narrative and must clarify why these responsibilities cannot be done by the class or faculty member. Faculty may hire graduate students on an hourly basis according to current graduate school and university policies. Click here for Graduate Assistantship Guidelines.
  
  
• Other related project costs.
  
  
• Funding will not be granted for: One-Time/Pilot Grants may NOT be used to cover any ongoing overhead costs, such as rent for an off-campus space.

• Projects scheduled for the fall semester must be completed by May 30th of the following year, with a cutoff date of June 30th for all reports and expenses.
  
  
• Projects scheduled for the spring semester must be completed by May 30th of the same year, with a cutoff date of June 30th for all reports and expenses.
  
  
• Projects scheduled for more than one semester must be completed by May 30th of the year immediately following project completion, with a cutoff date of June 30th for all reports and expenses. A mid-grant report must be filed with the Office of Immersive Learning for projects that span more than one academic year.
  
  
• On July 1st immediately following project completion, all unused project funds will be returned to the Office of Immersive Learning; project timelines will only be extended by special permission of the Provost.

After the grant period, faculty mentors will provide a final report to the Office of Immersive Learning detailing immersive learning activities, including how student learning outcomes were met, dissemination plan for upcoming semesters, student/instructor reflections, and grant expenditures. Faculty members will be ineligible to receive additional internal funding from the Office of Immersive Learning, including travel funding, until this report is received. The expectations for the report will be given to the faculty member when they are awarded the grant.

In addition, those receiving a Provost Immersive Learning Grant might:

• Be asked to serve on future grant review committees.
• Present their findings at a public forum arranged by the Office of Immersive Learning.
• Participate in other immersive learning-related faculty development opportunities.