Criteria and adjudication

Adjudication process

Using the criteria below, grant applications are evaluated by one of of four Grants Adjudication Committees, each of which is comprised of

two faculty members (appointed by the co-Chairs of the GFC’s Teaching and Learning Committee),
a student representative (appointed by the co-Chairs of the GFC’s Teaching and Learning Committee),
a staff member from the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, and
the Academic Director of the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, who serves as the committee's neutral chair.

Adjudication committee decisions include Fund As Is, Do Not Fund, and Revise & Resubmit. Adjudication committees may ask applicants revise and resubmit promising proposals to ensure they reflect Teaching and Learning Grants guidelines and/or University policies, or to clarify or develop parts of the proposal. Successful applications may be partially funded or fully funded, depending on the Adjudication Committee's assessment of its quality, the appropriateness of the budget items, and the amount of funds available.

Once all decisions are made, the Academic Director of the Taylor Institute will prepare notification letters, which are then reviewed by the Vice Provost (Teaching and Learning).

All decision letters are then sent electronically to applicants on June 1.

Adjudication criteria

Only complete applications using the Teaching and Learning Grants forms--a Word document with specific prompts that explicitly mirror the criteria below, as well as a budget spreadsheet--will be forwarded to Adjudication Committees. Evaluations will be based on the following criteria:

Grounded in Context	Clear explanation of how the project idea emerges from teaching and student learning at the University of Calgary
Scholarly Inquiry into Teaching and Learning	Project is anchored by compelling questions or goals related to teaching and learning Explicit description of how the inquiry and resulting project are designed to (ultimately) understand or improve student learning (not just teaching) Evidence that the project's inquiry and goals are informed by existing and effective scholarship** relevant to its central teaching and learning issues Includes a complete bibliography of cited sources
Activities Aligned with Inquiry	A clear description of the project’s activities (For details about what specifically needs to be described, see the instructions on the relevant stream's application form.) Explicit description of how activities align with (respond to) the project's inquiry and goals Clear timeline for all activities
Impact & Knowledge-Sharing	Clear and likely potential for positive impact on teaching and learning Explanation of how teaching and learning at the University of Calgary—other courses, educators, and contexts—will benefit from the project’s activities, lesson, instruments, or findings A plan for sustaining these effects beyond the funding period, ensuring an ongoing impact A plan for disseminating the project’s results with relevant audiences at the University of Calgary, and as relevant beyond the university
Appropriate Budget	A detailed budget spreadsheet that follows the Teaching and Learning Grants' budget guidelines Rationale explaining how budgeted items support the project’s goals and inquiry
Clarity & Completeness	Written in a way that is—in both language and content—accessible to readers who are not familiar with its area of research or practice (See adjudication committee makeup above.) The appropriate application form and spreadsheet are completely filled out.

** Relevant educational research, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), discipline-based educational research (DBER), learning theory or science, etc. For assistance, consult with Caitlin McClurg (the Taylor Institute’s liaison librarian), and see the “Conducting a Lit Review” page and research guide on the SoTL Guide. Sign up for Caitlin's "Preparing the Lit Review" workshop.

For questions about the grants, please email tigrants@ucalgary.ca

Adjudication process

Adjudication criteria

Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning

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