Curriculum Development and Instructional Improvement Grant Program
NMU recognizes that curriculum development and instructional improvement are ongoing activities in all academic departments on campus. It is the hope of every department that internal resources will be adequate to support these development and improvement efforts, including the purchase of equipment or educational supplies that are routinely processed through administrative channels. Unfortunately reality dictates that major development and some instructional improvement efforts cannot always be accomplished with available department resources. There may be a need for additional funds to cover the cost of faculty release time or summer support for faculty travel, training and materials.
Requests for funding will be accepted in the following categories:
- Curriculum Development Grants are intended to support efforts at the departmental or inter-departmental level and focus on modifications, advancements or improvements in the curriculum. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the proposed work exceeds those curriculum development activities normally expected from an academic unit to adequately justify additional funding.
- Instructional Improvement Grants are intended to support projects that offer one or more faculty members the opportunity to improve their instructional skills, implement new teaching methodologies, or develop innovative materials. Course development for international courses are included in this category.
DEADLINE: 2/12/27; MAX AWARD: $2,400 - exclusive of absorbed release time
GUIDELINES
COVER SHEET
SAMPLE CV
EVALUATION CRITERIA
SAMPLE PROPOSALS *Note that the guidelines may have changed since these proposals were awarded
All full-time faculty on term, continuing, tenure track, and tenured appointments are eligible. Although individual faculty members initiate the proposal, they will require endorsements as detailed in the guidelines.
Applicants must complete their application through the Cayuse platform. You will find instructions for submitting on this linked Cayuse platform page.
Department head signatures approving the submission will be collected by the Cayuse system after submission. The submission is due by the deadline; the approvals can come afterwards.
Grant recipients must file a Final Project Report by June 30 of the year following the year the award was received. All funds must be encumbered on or before the end of the one-year award period.
FINAL REPORT GUIDELINES FOR NMU INTERNAL GRANTS
If a PI would like to request a No-Cost Extension, this No-Cost Extension form must be submitted at least 15-calendar days prior to the end of the project period.
The Faculty Grants Committee will review the proposals, rank them, and report to the Senate. The Senate will forward its recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. While it is understood that the objectives of the grant categories vary, each proposal submitted will be reviewed and ranked by the Faculty Grants Committee in terms of the project's overall merit. The Committee will recommend only meritorious proposals for funding, and will make budget recommendations. The evaluation rubric used by the Faculty Grants Committee can be viewed here. Each proposal will be rated independently on the following criteria:
- Each proposal will be reviewed as to the methods of the project, the appropriateness of the budget, and the probability of attaining its specified objectives.
- Each proposal will be reviewed as to the innovative nature of the proposed objective and/or the impact the outcome will have on curriculum development or instructional improvement.
- Proposals that are rated unacceptable with regard to either criterion by a majority of the committee will not be ranked.
- Voting Policy: Each proposal must be read and evaluated by a minimum of five (5) voting members of the Faculty Grants Committee. In the event that less than five committee members are available for grant assessment, alternate committee members will be called upon to fill in. Committee members who have a grant under consideration will be excluded from any deliberations. Alternates will take the place of these members. Ex officio committee members may contribute to discussions, but will not take part in the actual ranking of proposals.
Past Awards
Curriculum Development
-NO SUBMISSIONS-
Instructional Improvement
Crystal Keso
Department: Chemistry
Project Title: Forensic Science Professions in Scotland: An Interdisciplinary Study Abroad Experience
Jill Grundstrom
Department: Theatre & Dance
Project Title: Elevating Jazz Dance Training at NMU: Certification in the Giordano Technique to Expand Faculty Knowledge and Student Opportunity
Jongeun You
Department: Political Science
Project Title: Community Engaged Learning on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Curriculum Development
Jongeun You
Department: Political Science
Project Title: Developing Environmental Management Course on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Instructional Improvement
Lau Romero
Department: Languages, Literature, and International Studies
Project Title: Making Spanish 101 a Textbook-Free Course
Curriculum Development
Jim Marquardson
Department: College of Business
Project Title: Establishment of Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Governance Model and Initial Curriculum Modifications
Instructional Improvement
Kristen Smith
Department: School of Nursing
Project Title: Expanding Simulation in the Women's & Children's Nursing Courses
Curriculum Development
Amy Barnsley
Department: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Project Title: Online Intermediate Algebra: Because Quality Matters
Instructional Improvement
Dwight Brady
Department: Communication and Performance Studies
Project Title: Using video to enhance the instruction of media production hardware and software
Curriculum Development
Christie Edge
Department: School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service
Project Title: Paving The New Pathway: Creating a Clinical Partnership for the Preparation of Secondary Education Teachers
Instructional Improvement
Alec Lindsay
Department: Biology
Project Title: Comparing Learning Outcomes of a “Blended-Learning” Teaching Strategy with an Online-Enhanced “Standard Lecture” Teaching Strategy
Curriculum Development
Joanie Cowell
Department: School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service
Project Title: A revision of the Graduate Learning Disabilities Program: Turning a Chevy into a Cadillac.
Instructional Improvement
Robert Goodrich
Department: History
Project Title: Development of a Historical Role-Playing Game using the “Reacting to the Past” Model. The Last Years of the Republic, Germany 1930-1933
Curriculum Development
Jaspal K. Singh
Department: Department of English
Project Title: Gender and Sikh Religious Identity in Indian Literature
Instructional Improvement
Carol S. Steinhaus
Department: College of Business
Project Title: Improving Ability to Teach Intercultural Communication in the College of Business
Curriculum Development
Joseph M. Lubig
Department: School of Education, Leadership and Public Service
Project Title: Elementary Education Curriculum Map Proposal
Instructional Improvement
Terry Delpier & Kristi Burdick
Department: School of Nursing
Project Title: Pediatric Simulation Computer Program: PALS SimBaby Scenarios
Derek Anderson
Department: School of Education, Leadership and Public Service
Project Title: NVivo 8 Workshop
Rebecca Ulland
Department: Modern Languages and Literature
Project Title: Women Writers of Argentina
Curriculum Development
Carol Bell
Department: Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Project Title: Redesign of the Master of Science in Mathematics Education Degree Program
Instructional Improvement
Carol Bell
Department: Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Project Title: Understanding Algebraic Concepts in Middle School Mathematics
David Buhl
Department: Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Project Title: Integrating Mathematics Software and Podcasting
Claudia Orr
Department: College of Business
Project Title: Improving Communication Effectiveness in Managerial Communications with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Curriculum Development
Joseph Lubig
Department: School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service
Project Title: A Collaborative Reading Curriculum: Bridging the Gap between Teaching Certification Requirements and the High School Reading Curriculum
Jaspal Singh
Department: English
Project Title: Fundamentalism and Secularism is Contemporary Indian Literature
Sandra Poindexter
Department: College of Business
Project Title: Study, Evaluate, and Model Alternative Ways to Teach information Technology
Instructional Improvement
John Smolens
Department: Department of English
Project Title: Exploratory Trip for a CLEA to Italy
Carol Sotiropoulos
Department of Modern Languages and Literature
Project Title: Incorporating Austrian Studies into GR 310, German Culture and Civilization
Mare Jane Tremethick & Eileen Smit
Department: School of Health and Human Performance
Project Title: Spanish Immersion Program
Cate Terwilliger
Department: English
Project Title: First Amendment
Curriculum Development
-NO SUBMISSIONS-
Instructional Improvement
Charles Ganzert and Dwight Brady
Department: Communication and Media Studies
Project Title: Advanced Training In Audio & Video Production Software
Terry Delpier & Lisa Flood
Department: School of Nursing
Project Title: Nursing Simulation: Emergency Equipment
Curriculum Development
Roxin Zhang
Department: Mathematics and Computer Sciences
Project Title: Redesign of the Prediction Equations in NMU Math Placement Recommendation System
Instructional Improvement
Mary Jane Tremethick
Department: School of Health and Human Performance
Project Title: Exploring Health Care in China