Grant Consultation

Center for Teaching consultants are available to support Vanderbilt grant writers in a variety of ways. From meeting one time to discuss the educational components of a grant application, to ongoing conversations about the design of assessment strategies, the CFT can help. CFT consultants are well versed in current research and literature on best practices in university teaching and can help to connect grant writers with important resources.

The CFT frequently assists grant writers through grant consultations and by providing letters of support. Many grant writers have used the following ongoing CFT programs and services in support of their grants:

• Small Group Analysis (SGA)
• Workshops on teaching and learning topics
• Teaching Certificate program

Generally the CFT’s involvement in grants is limited to one of the types of support listed above. There are, however, instances where we might take a more active role, requiring the commitment of additional, ongoing CFT resources. For example:

• Extended course design and assessment consultations
• Develop a new pedagogical training and development program. The Teaching Fellows workshop developed for the HHMI funded “Community of Scholars” is an example from this category.
• Adapt existing programs for a grant
• Design and/or implement grant assessment and evaluation activities

The CFT can help principal investigators and other grant team members develop the capacity to effectively address broader impact funding criteria, integrating teaching and research efforts.

The first step is to schedule a consultation with one of the CFT’s senior staff. During this conversation we can explore the different ways in which the CFT can support your grant. To make an appointment, use our contact form or call (615) 322-7290.

Funding Resources

See the CFT’s guide to grant funding resources for educational initiatives for possible sources of grant funding. Also, recent calls for proposals noted by CFT staff as potentially relevant to Vanderbilt instructors are often listed on the CFT Blog.

Additional Resources

Other Vanderbilt grant-related resources include:

• Research at Vanderbilt, from the Vice Provost for Research
• Research and Funding at Vanderbilt, from the Office of the Provost
• Vice Provost for Research
• Division of Sponsored Research
• Corporate & Foundation Relations
• A&S Grants Resource Office
• VUMC Office of Research
• Graduate Student Funding Workshops
  

Applying for NSF CAREER Awards – CIRTL-at-Vanderbilt hosted a workshop in May 2007 for Vanderbilt faculty members and post-doctoral fellows interested in applying for National Science Foundation CAREER Grants.  Materials from that workshop are available online.  These materials include information from several campus units, including the Center for Teaching, that can provide resources in support of the “broader impact” criterion of these grants.  Also available are presentations on the grant process by past grant winners.