Creating transformative educational experiences that accelerate student engagement, learning, success, and professional readiness are at the core of Lehigh’s Strategy, Inspiring the Future Makers. In recognition of this mission, the Office of Educational Innovation and Assessment (OEIA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Inaugural Educational Innovation Grants (EIG) competition. For this funding cycle, we anticipate awarding five (5) grants in the following areas:

  • Three (3) awards focused broadly on teaching, learning, and assessment that align with the OEIA’s central aims of competency-based education and user-designed inquiry
  • One (1) award focused on educational technology, to include the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) within formal or informal teaching and learning environments
  • One (1) award focused on scholarly efforts related to community-engaged learning

We are especially interested in proposals that demonstrate the potential of a new interdisciplinary approach or application of concepts from one field to another, as well as those proposals that engage multiple shareholders (e.g., students, faculty, teaching assistants, community partners).

As detailed below, an EIG proposal should describe the short- and long-term goals of the project in a manner that makes clear its potential impact within and beyond the immediate context and discipline(s) of study. Second, the proposal should clearly articulate the quantitative and/or qualitative approach(es) that will be employed to evaluate outcomes associated with implementation of the innovation. Lastly, applicants should be explicit about how they foresee the innovation being scaled up and/or sustained beyond the lifetime of the grant. 

Award

We anticipate awarding five (5) grants, each no more than $1,000, through this RFP.

Eligibility

Faculty and staff whose responsibilities explicitly center on teaching, learning, and/or educational innovation are eligible to apply. Only completed applications will be considered.

Allowable Costs

Awards may be used for a wide range of expenses provided that a clear case is made that the expenses are essential to the project. Grant funds may be used for:

  • Salary support for hourly wage research assistants and/or consultants
  • Acquisition of materials and supplies necessary to accomplish the grant objectives
  • Travel to disseminate outcomes (accepted meeting/conference abstract required)
  • Necessary publication costs, to exclude purchasing of reprints
  • Course development costs

All expenditures must be in compliance with Lehigh’s Travel and Business Expense Policy. 

Non-allowable Costs

Grant funds cannot be used for:

  • Employee salaries, with the exception of hourly wage research assistants
  • Purchase of general-purpose equipment, computers, and/or materials/supplies, unless the requested item(s) is/are of specific need for the project
  • Remodeling or alteration of facilities
  • Payments for entertainment or alcohol
  • Reimbursement of costs incurred prior to submission of the application

This list provides some examples and is not exhaustive. If you have any questions about allowable/unallowable expenses, please contact our office. You may also consult the Travel and Business Expense Policy for further information.

How to Apply through InfoReady

Application Details: (Submission Deadline: Friday, August 1, 2025, by 11:59 PM)

Applications must be submitted through Lehigh’s InfoReady portal for initial quality control purposes. InfoReady will prompt you for the following summary details:

  • Descriptive Project Title suitable for publication on our public website.
  • Name, Department, and Position Title of each investigator on the proposed project. One investigator must serve as the main correspondent. This individual will be responsible for all deliverables and management of the budget.
  • Abstract: A 250-word abstract giving a clear and concise description of the project’s objectives, proposed methodology, and anticipated results in layperson’s terms. The abstract should describe the project’s broad significance, the proposed activities, and the project’s intended results. If the project is selected for funding, this abstract will appear on our public website.
  • Submission Category: (a) teaching, learning, and assessment; (b) educational technology; or (c) community-engaged learning.

When prompted to do so, please upload your proposal narrative, budget, and budget justification as a single PDF document. Please note that page margins must be set to at least one inch and text must be 10 point or larger (Arial or Times New Roman font). Specific requirements for each section of the proposal are below.

Proposal Narrati​ve: A proposal narrative, not to exceed five (5) pages (excluding references), that enables reviewers to judge the merits of the project using the criteria listed below. Please adhere to the following outline:

  • Importance of the Project: Fundable proposals will successfully argue for the centrality or critical nature of the issue addressed. Proposals must have a clear problem statement that outlines what issue the project will address with the funds from the EIG. The text should include a brief literature review. It must clearly indicate how this project adds to the existing research (i.e., what is new or what problem will be solved?) and that it holds promise for sustained impact. Strong proposals will advance the mission and values of the university and demonstrate broader relevance and applicability to other educators.
  • Problem Statement: A clearly articulated statement of the issue under consideration or investigation.
  • Project Objectives: Explicit objectives for the project that are clearly tied to the problem.
  • Project Timeline: A timeline detailing project implementation that will be sufficient to achieve objectives. Note that the maximum possible duration of the project is 12 months.
  • Project Staff and Responsibilities: Description of who will work on the project and their responsibilities.
  • Evaluation Plan: A clear and feasible plan for evaluating progress on the project objectives that includes description of qualitative and/or quantitative data to be collected and analyzed.
  • Dissemination and Sustainability Plans: Plans for dissemination of project outcomes and sustainability of project activities beyond the lifetime of the EIG.

Budget: Provide an itemized budget and justification (no more than two (2) pages) with sufficient detail for reviewers to understand how the budget items support the completion of the project. The budget must be appropriate to the specific needs of the research project.

Please also note that your application will require a signed letter of support from your immediate supervisor (e.g., chair, dean, director). You are not required to use a specific template, but the letter must indicate that your supervisor approves of you submitting an EIG and confirms that you are able to complete the proposed work if an award is made. This document should be on institutional letterhead.

Review Process

Submitted applications will first undergo a quality control (QC) check to ensure completeness. Applications that clear this QC step will advance to the review committee. This committee will evaluate proposal according to these criteria:

  • Originality, Intellectual Merit, and Potential Impact. Does the applicant pose novel activities centered on educational innovation, describe a new way of studying an existing type of innovation, propose novel means of bridging between theory and practice, or otherwise promise to advance an important field of scholarship, discovery, or praxis?
  • Quality of the Proposal Narrative. Has the applicant clearly described how they will address an existing gap within the higher education landscape, citing measurable and achievable project objectives? Are the assessment and/or evaluation measures aligned to these objectives and appropriate given the proposed scope of work? Is the proposed timeline appropriate? If a team project, is every member making a substantive contribution? Are there clear plans for dissemination of project outcomes?
  • Budget. Is the budget appropriate for the proposed work? Does it adhere to Lehigh budgetary policies and procedures? Are the funds requested justified?
  • Long-term Potential. Does the project have potential to open up new avenues for the applicants and for Lehigh? Does that potential reach beyond the initial focus of the EIG project? Does it have the potential to catalyze new educational innovation beyond the immediate scope of work proposed? Does the project have the potential to establish or enhance connections between academic work and broader concerns in the higher education arena?

Expenditures and Grant Management

If an award is made, you will work collaboratively with Ms. Erin Cummings (elc424@lehigh.edu), OEIA Business Manager, to access your funds. The project PI will be responsible for assuring that the funds are spent:

All funds must be spent prior to the end of the award period (i.e., funds cannot be rolled over to the next fiscal year).

Reporting Requirements

You will be required to submit midpoint and final progress reports (templates will be provided). You are also required to cite the EIG award with a unique ID number in any publications, presentations or other significant work that result from the work funded by this grant.

Contact Information

Questions and requests for additional information should be directed to inoeia@lehigh.edu.