The Cross Endowed Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at ISU is excited to announce the call for proposals for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) University Research Grant (URG) Program. This program provides small grants to support research on the developmental and learning outcomes of ISU students. SoTL is defined at ISU as the “systematic study/reflection on teaching and learning (of our ISU students) made public,” allowing for research across disciplines using various methodologies, whether quantitative or qualitative.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, funded projects can focus on any teaching-learning issues explicitly related to ISU students. Grants of up to $5,000 are available, with funds applicable to various budget categories such as printing, commodities, contractual services, travel, student help, and salary. While 4-5 grants are expected to be awarded, all awards are subject to the availability of funds allocated for FY26.

Eligibility and Requirements

All tenured and tenure-line faculty, non-tenure line faculty, faculty associates, graduate teaching assistants, and AP staff with teaching or teaching support responsibilities at ISU are eligible to apply. Each proposal must include at least one faculty/staff member and one student (graduate or undergraduate), with team members potentially spanning multiple disciplines.

Application Requirements 

Applicants must submit the following via the Office of Research and Graduate Studies internal grant site:

  • A narrative (maximum 1500 words) addressing the selection criteria
  • A reference page/bibliography
  • An itemized budget with justification
  • Optional appendices (e.g., draft of questionnaire or focus group questions)

Review Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by three faculty/staff members with expertise in SoTL, based on the following criteria:

  • Alignment with SoTL related to ISU students and the Framework for Inclusive Teaching Excellence 
  • Inclusion of a relevant literature review and fit within existing research
  • Clear description of methodology for gathering evidence
  • Defined roles for student researchers
  • Ethical appropriateness regarding human subjects
  • Specific possibilities for public presentation or publication
  • Detailed budget and justification

Acknowledgements 

Grant recipients must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Submit an IRB protocol form and receive IRB approval if human subjects are involved
  • Present the funded research at the University-Wide Teaching-Learning Symposium in January 2026 or January 2027
  • Submit a representation of the work to a teaching newsletter, website, conference, show/competition, journal, or book by December 2026 or 2027
  • Recognize the funding source in all presentations, publications, videos, etc.

Questions?

For more information, please contact Dr. Jennifer Friberg, Cross Endowed Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, at jfribe@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-7706.
Learn more

Apply Now!

Submit your application by 5:00 p.m., Monday, June 9, 2025.