ecampusontario Faculty Supports Project: University Steering Committee Call for Proposals

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1 ecampusontario Faculty Supports Project: University Steering Committee Call for Proposals Faculty and staff at Ontario Universities are invited to consider institutional projects that are related to the support needs of courses and/or projects relevant to teaching and learning in the online environment. These support needs are aligned and linked with one of ecampusontario s initiatives known as the Faculty Supports Project. After wide consultation, a needs assessment, and input from the majority of Ontario Universities, the Faculty Supports Project University Steering Committee has generated a series of recommendations, one of which is to pilot this call which might serve as a means for universities to build supports and derive benefit from the Faculty Supports Project (FSP). The maximum amount to be funded in this call is $40,000. Each application may request up to $5,000. The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, June 22nd, Background During the past 3 years, The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) has aspired to lead and support universities and colleges in enhancing online and technology-enabled learning opportunities for students, with an aim for Ontario to be recognized as a global leader driving the evolution of teaching and learning through technology. The ecampusontario portal (launched in September, 2015) currently showcases over 14,000 courses and over 700 programs from 45 publicly assisted colleges and universities across Ontario. The ecampusontario portal also houses a preliminary set of support resources for faculty and instructors; these resources can be found here. The University Steering Committee (along with the College Steering Committee) provided input toward the collection of these resources. With the Faculty Supports Project, the University Steering Committee is working with a College Steering Committee to provide a set of recommendations to ecampusontario about the next steps in developing resources and supports. A province-wide needs assessment and wide consultations with various groups across universities provided input to the recommendations generated by the University Steering Committee, including this pilot call for proposals that would further the aims of ecampusontario in supporting faculty work. 1

2 Project Eligibility 1. Project proposals must align with at least one of the 6 options (specified below in Item 1 of the Application) that relate to online/blended teaching and learning. 2. Grants will not be awarded to projects involving instructional tasks expected to fall within normal teaching responsibilities of a course, department, or Faculty (e.g., updating course content, maintaining online course software, etc.). 3. All project deliverables must be completed by March 31st, Institutions will be required to provide progress reports according to the schedule as set out in Section 4 of the Application Adjudication Process 1. Applications will be adjudicated by peer review, including members of the University Steering Committee, ecampusontario representatives, and others involved in the development of the project. 2. Given the multidisciplinary representation in the adjudication process, applicants are encouraged to use jargon free and simple language. Submission Requirements 1. Please ensure Sections 1-6 of the application below are completed. Incomplete Applications (for example, a section missing or blank) will not move through to the adjudication process. 2. Applications are due by 11:59PM (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, June 22, Late submissions will not be accepted. Submission Instructions 1. Complete the Application below (Sections 1-6) 2. Save the Application as a PDF document 3. the PDF Application to [email protected] with the subject line: FSP Grant Application SURNAME, INSTITUTION (SURNAME is the last name of the Principal Investigator). 3. All communications regarding these grants can be directed to [email protected] 2

3 Application (Please complete each of the 6 items below) 1. Your project must address one or more of the following options (please mark x ). Please note: All items below must relate to online/blended teaching and learning. Explore the possibility of developing and offering a certification in effective online teaching /development that could be used by ecampusontario. Applicants are encouraged to include the use of existing open content in the development of the proposed certification requirements. Submit a scan of best practices on how content is made accessible (AODA compliant) using universal design principles that is portable and may be shared through ecampusontario. Develop a proposal to scope out and establish an e-fellowship program within ecampusontario, which would offer an opportunity for faculty to be mentors, advocates, and form a nucleus for a community of online teachers. Develop a proposal to share, celebrate, and highlight online and blended experiences through webinars, online discussion forums, and awards program(s). Provide additional resources in alignment with the categories identified in the ecampusontario.ca Teaching Resources hub (found here) that speak to best practice guides, literature review on research, design processes, impact studies, etc. Ensure your work is not duplicating existing resources. Provide a proposal to organize resources in functional and temporal categories that account for design, development, and delivery sequences and provide multiple pathways for the diversity of user experience, expertise, and needs. 3

4 2. Provide a clear rationale for the project, a brief description, and how your project will contribute to the ecampusontario Faculty Supports Project, without duplicating existing resources. (max. 250 words). 3. Briefly describe how your project will have an impact on supporting the needs of staff and/or teachers, by meeting a significant unmet need in the online or blended learning community (max. 150 words). 4

5 4. Please provide your project outcomes and deliverables, and include a clear timeline for the project (max. 250 words). 5. Please describe how grant funds will be used, including an itemized budget and a clear explanation of why the proposed expenditures are required to complete the project (maximum budget: $5,000). 5

6 6. Contact Information Principal Investigator & Address Co-Investigators Organization/Institution Telephone # Expected date of completion Institutional Contact (responsible for receiving project funding) 6