Instructional Development Fund: Grants for Interdisciplinary Project Funding

Definitions and Objective
Students benefit when their teachers are enthusiastic about exploring new ideas and are actively engaged in broadening their knowledge. As the faculty are enriched, so ultimately are the students’ educational experiences. In addition to grants for course improvement focused on curriculum development and pedagogical experiments, IDF grants also encourage and support projects that are interdisciplinary in content. Interdisciplinary projects have as their goal the renewal of faculty members as liberal learners and/or the development of interdisciplinary partnerships. Although immediate curricular impact is not necessary, it is expected that ground work for future team-taught courses and/or other interdisciplinary interactions between faculty members will result. Please note that the program is not intended for use by faculty members in their quest for advanced degrees.

Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• the project’s potential for enabling faculty members to develop interdisciplinary/multicultural approaches to teaching;

• the project’s potential for integrating bodies of knowledge across disciplines;

• the project’s feasibility (likelihood of successful completion, justification of costs).

The following are examples of interdisciplinary activities that have received funding:

“Virtual classes from Mumbai to Ithaca College” a multi-disciplinary teaching tool mounting virtual music classes with leading artists/musicians in Mumbai, India that integrates South Asia Studies, Ethnomusicology/Anthropology/Literary Studies/Communication and Culture.

• “Preparing Future Health Science Professionals for Multi-disciplinary Interaction.” The goal of this project was to develop cooperatively with faculty from all the health sciences disciplines a senior-level course that would focus on multidisciplinary interaction among health science professionals. Students would be familiarized with theory, trends, and treatment modalities of a variety of allied health fields. The knowledge of other professions is intended to enhance collaboration among professionals once they enter practice. 

• “Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Curriculum.” Integrating Biology and Math/CS. GI’s is a computerized system for analysis and display of geographic or spatial data. The purpose of this project was to establish a course that would teach the skills of GI’s to faculty and students in diverse academic disciplines, and require students to apply with the skills to a project related to their field. 

• “Program Leadership for All Youth (Play)” integrating R/LS and Physical Education. Four IC professors traveled to Ecuador for two weeks to study the feasibility of setting up joint projects between faculty and students from Ithaca College and their counterparts in Ecuador. The project resulted in enabling IC faculty to bring a greater international and multicultural perspective to their teaching as well as planning a workshop for practitioners to train them to provide recreation services within their own agencies to fit the needs of their specific populations.  

Eligible Budget Categories
Interdisciplinary projects are funded under two categories: joint projects involving two or more faculty members (up to $3,000) and individual projects ($1,500).

Fees for training workshops may include travel, lodging, or meal expenses required for such workshops; materials such as slides or software for course adaption; technical services.

Composition and Role of Instructional Development Review Committee

Committee members will be selected to represent all schools and divisions and will be appointed by the Provost. The committee will review proposals submitted to the IDF Committee and will make recommendations to the Provost.

Procedures for Submitting a Proposal

• An original proposal should be submitted electronically to Laurie Wasik in the provost’s office at wasik@ithaca.edu. One printed copy with cover page containing signatures from the department chair and the dean/director must be submitted to the Office of the Provost by the published deadline (see below). When support for a workshop is requested, the printed announcement, brochure, or website link for it should be included in the proposal.

• Proposals are due in the Office of the Provost by September 15 or November 15 for fall and spring implementation, February 15 for spring and summer implementation, and April 15 for summer and fall implantation.

• Proposals that are complete, concise, clear, and comply with the specified format will be considered for funding. At the Committee’s discretion, vague proposals will be returned to the author for clarification or will be refused. Faculty are encouraged to discuss ideas of drafts with Committee members beforehand.

• Department chairs/directors and/or deans should be consulted about the project before the proposal is finalized and submitted for review. 

• Decisions for funding will be communicated by letter within one month after the deadline for submitting proposals.

• If completion of a project will require support from Information Technology Services (ITS) or the Center for Educational Technology (CET), a memo of support from ITS/CET should accompany the proposal.


Examples of successful proposals are available for perusal in the Associate Provost’s office. 

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