Course Enrichment Grants, offered by the University of Virginia Library, provide support to faculty interested in enhancing students’ abilities to seek, evaluate, manage, and use information and data in scholarly contexts, as well as create media-rich class assignments.
Faculty recipients of these grants will receive:
- $2,500, which can be applied to salary or to a research account. $2,000 will be paid during the summer of 2024; $500 after submission of the final reflection.
- Dedicated support from experienced librarians, technologists, or other library staff.
The program aims to fund projects that promote student learning in the following areas. All funded projects will involve partnership with a team of library staff with expertise in the proposed topic.
- Enhancing students’ ability to critically find, evaluate, interrogate, manage, and use information, including archival and primary source material, within and beyond their field of study.
- Strengthening students’ ability to discover, ethically use/reuse, collect, manage, store, and share data from a wide variety of sources.
- Enabling students to explore new technologies, such as video, audio, 3D, immersive, and maker-related projects, and produce course assignments in diverse media.
- Deepening student learning through digital methods such as mapping, exhibit-building, text/image/sound analysis, or collaborative project design.
- Supporting faculty who wish to use open educational resources and practices in pursuit of more active, inclusive class environments. (Contact lib-oer@virginia.edu for more information on open education.)
- Assisting faculty who wish to explore the affordances of Artificial Intelligence to improve student learning.
Who is eligible? How do I apply?
- This program is open to any faculty member at the University of Virginia holding a semester-long course appointment (Fall, J-Term, Spring, or Summer).
- Application deadline: 2/18/2024
- Notifications will be made during the week of 3/24/2024
- Apply by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
What are the selection criteria?
- The project will have an impact on the faculty member's teaching and on student learning, and, if relevant, the community.
- Information concepts and activities will be well-integrated into the course.
- The project has a convincing rationale for partnering with the library to accomplish course goals.
- Staff with the necessary skills are available to support this project.
- Faculty are available for planning meetings during the summer before the targeted school year.
- Each application is evaluated on its merits; however, when proposals are of equivalent quality, priority is given to first-time applicants.
What are the expectations of the faculty?
- Meet with their assigned library team at least three times in the summer of 2024 to plan the course and undertake a syllabus review.
- Include at least one library team member on the course site.
- Provide a written reflection of their experience with the program.
- Attend an end-of-year gathering and report-out.
Other considerations:
- We strongly recommend that project proposers meet with library staff before submitting an application. Please contact Judith Thomas at jthomas@virginia.edu for an appointment.
- This program cannot promise implementation of academic technologies in the classroom (e.g., software or systems) or provide long-term support for specialty software. However, we can advise on technologies and make referrals to appropriate support units on grounds.
- Please be aware that when proposing an AI project, the fast-paced evolution of this technology makes it challenging to foresee outcomes. We approach AI projects as collaborative ventures aimed at enriching student learning.
- You may be contacted by the selection committee with additional questions.
Learn more
Attend an information session:
See a list of previously funded projects.
For questions about any aspect of the program, please email Judith Thomas at jthomas@virginia.edu.