Faculty Mentoring - Grant Funding
Grant applications for the 2012-2013 academic year have been awarded. Check back later for details!
Each peer-mentoring or other faculty mentoring group at RIT may request funding for one project or activity each academic year. Requests of $500 to $2,000 will be considered.
The mentoring projects or activities for which you are requesting grant funds must be related to teaching excellence, dissemination of scholarly works, or grant proposal development. The goal is for you to participate in activities or projects that will help your mentoring group be successful. Activities related to general professional development activities/projects will not be considered.
Projects or activities may include:
- Guest speakers
- Site visits to a corporate or government entity
- Conference attendance
- Launch of an e-journal
- Webinar participation
- Workshops
Upon completion of the activity or project, the mentoring group must submit a report on its findings and may be asked to present at a future mentoring event.
Eligibility
Faculty mentors and their protégés and other RIT peer mentoring groups may apply. “Mentoring groups” are defined as groups (two or more members) that meet on a regular basis for mutual support and development. On the application you will be asked for your mentoring group's name, topic area, and meeting schedule. You may be asked to provide meeting minutes. If you are submitting a proposal for an interdisciplinary project or activity, one person should be selected as the group's leader. Self-nominations are not allowed. Full-time, tenure track teaching faculty are eligible to apply. Projects involving staff and/or part-time faculty will be considered only if the lead applicant is a full-time faculty member.
Application Process
- Applications are due via the online application by Week 2 of Winter Quarter, Friday, December 7, 2012, by 5 pm.
- A Review Committee selected by the Provost will determine if the applicant and the project or activity meets eligibility requirements and determine the amount awarded.
- Grant Recipients for Academic Year 2012-2013 will be announced the week of January 14, 2013
- If you are awarded a grant, you will receive instructions for accessing funds and reporting on the use of your grant.
- All grant-funded projects and activities must be completed by June 15, 2013 (extensions may be granted upon request).
Grants Awarded to Mentoring Groups, Academic Year 2011-2012
Technology Rich Learning Environment Education Research Team
- Michael Stinson, National Technical Institute for the Deaf
- Rhiannon Hart, College of Liberal arts
- Betsy Dell and Larry Villasmil, College of Applied Science & Technology
- Nancy Ares, Warner School of Education, University of Rochester
Project
The group's NSF FIRE proposal received very positive feedback but was not funded due to the need for improvements in the education research methodology and evaluation plan. This grant was utilized to contract with an objective external evaluator team to enhance the research methodology section for submission to the NSF-RDE and NSF-TSL Project.
Integrated Mathematical Models to Combat Dry Eye Syndrome
- Kara Maki and David Ross, College of Science
- Steve Weinstein, Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Project
The mentoring group worked on developing a mathematical model of the mechanical interactions between a contact lens suspended in a tear film and the viscous liquid in which it is suspended. Dr. Richard Braun, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Delaware, one of the leading experts in modeling the tear film dynamics, was invited as a guest speaker on "Modeling the Tear Film" for their group. In addition, one of the members presented in a mini-symposium and will speak about the mentoring group’s recent efforts, in collaboration with Bausch & Lomb, to understand the settling dynamics of contact lenses.
Molecular Imaging Group
- Hans Schmitthenner and Joseph Hornak, College of Science
Project
Membership to World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) and Registration for the World Molecular Imaging Conference (WMIC), the most important conference in the new field this group is starting at RIT.
Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
- Wayne Walter, Edward Hensel, Michael Schrlau, Mario Gomes, Jason Kolodziej, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Benjamin Varela, Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Project
The group currently mentors junior faculty how to recruit graduate students and disseminate their research. Funds provided by the grant allowed us to host speakers from off-campus that increased the academic networks between RIT and the home institutions of these speakers, and increased the likelihood of future collaborations including the dissemination of scholarly works, writing joint grant proposals, and sharing research help and ideas.
Junior Faculty External Funding Success Club
- Chris Collison, Loraine Tan, Lea Michel, Michael Coleman, Jeremy Cody, College of Science
Project
Funding was requested to discuss successes and opportunities in grant application, proposal writing, persuasive writing and networking and was used to pay for visits to funding agency program managers since this approach has led to success for the team mentor.
SMERC (Science and Mathematics Education Research Collaborative)
- Dina L. Newman, L. Kate Wright, Thomas Kim, Scott Franklin, Robert Teese, College of Science
Project
Funds requested for two new mentoring activities: monthly workshops on best practice pedagogy and assessment, and a spring quarter seminar speaker/workshop leader. Through the workshops, faculty can expand their knowledge of best-teaching practices, review and discuss evidence-based teaching methodologies, and promote a culture committed to student learning.
Questions?
Susan DeWoody
Program Coordinator
Office of the Associate Provost
The Wallace Center
Susan.Dewoody@rit.edu
585-475-6024