NWACC 2005 Proof of Concept
Grant Proposal Submission Guidelines

Goal
The goal of NWACC's Grant Program 2005 is to stimulate new curricular uses of leading edge information technologies. Our hope is that this program will enhance the learning environments at institutions of higher education through the development of models that can be used to guide full implementation of new technologies into the curricula of NWACC member institutions and their peers. Some examples of leading edge technologies include delivery of applications over high-bandwidth networks; applications using multifunction, hand-held, wireless devices; electronic portfolios; creative applications of course management software; messaging; etc. Funds may be used to purchase hardware or software, provide access to networked resources or communications links, develop new software, modify existing software, provide faculty stipends, etc. Traditionally, NWACC has awarded ten to fifteen grants of $10,000 each. For information about the number of awards made each year, please visit the NWACC web site at: http://www.nwacc.org/grants/stats.html

Eligibility
Grant proposals may be submitted only by faculty, librarians, or professional staff members employed on a continuing, full-time basis at NWACC member institutions. Individuals may apply for only one NWACC grant per year. Members of the Board, officers of the Corporation, and staff or paid consultants of the Corporation are ineligible to submit grant proposals or to receive grant payments.

Organizational Contact
If you would like to discuss an idea for a project, please contact your organization's NWACC representative. You can find the name of your NWACC representative at: http://www.nwacc.org/members/individuals.html

Submission Forms
Proposal submission must be done via NWACC's 2005 Web application form. In order to complete the Web application, you will need to obtain an Eligibility Code from your NWACC representative. Proposals that do not have valid codes will not be processed. THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING HAS PASSED.

Timeline

Feedback on non-funded proposals
Because of the large number of proposals received each year, NWACC does not provide feedback about non-funded proposals. Excellent examples of successful proposals may be found on the Web sites of past NWACC grant projects. See, for example, http://www.nwacc.org/grants/2003/03_awards.html.

Project Deliverables
For each funded proposal:

1. By August 12, 2005, A Web site about the project must be established. Because the Web site will, in most cases, be the primary medium through which the benefits of the project will become known to other institutions, it should be as rich a source of information as possible. At minimum, it must include the title of the project, identities and contact information for the principal investigators, and the text of the project proposal. The Web site must also prominently acknowledge NWACC’s contribution to the project and provide a link to the NWACC Web site.
2. By September 16, 2005, the principal investigator or delegate must e-mail to nwacc@reed.edu a brief initial progress report demonstrating satisfactory progress toward completion of project goals. This evidence should include such items as general descriptions of expenditures made, positions filled, work accomplished, and a timeline for the completion of grant-funded activities.
3. By April 14, 2006, the principal investigator or delegate must e-mail to nwacc@reed.edu a final progress report describing the completion of project goals, and relating those accomplishments to the Selection Criteria and Other Criteria listed below. The report should also include a closing financial statement.
   

Grant Payments
Awards will be made in two payments: A payment of $8,000 will be issued May 13, 2005. A second payment of $2,000 of the award amount will be issued November 15, 2005, provided that: (a) the project Web site has been established; and (b) the initial progress report indicates satisfactory evidence of progress towards completion of the project. Payment checks will be sent to the appropriate financial officer of the NWACC member institution.

Allowable Budget Items
Please note that institutional overhead and/or indirect costs will not be supported by NWACC grants. Examples of valid expenses include:

*Tuition payments, scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships are not valid uses of NWACC grant funds.
**Note that faculty stipends may not exceed $3,000 per individual or, in total, consume more than 60% of the grant amount.

Selection Criteria: All proposals must address the following criteria:

Impact: Clear benefits for teaching and learning demonstrated by the use of the new technology in at least one course taught during the 2005-06 academic year
Innovation: Pioneering use of new information technology for teaching and learning
Feasibility: Likelihood of success given campus resources, expertise of those involved with the project, etc.
Technology Transfer and Outreach: Commitment to share the benefits of the new technology with NWACC and non-NWACC constituencies external to the institution, e.g., K-12 schools, museums, Native communities, etc.

Other Criteria: Additional consideration will be given to proposals that address the following optional criteria:

Leverage: Commitment of matching support by the proposer's institution or external sources
Collaboration: Plans for partnering with other NWACC or non-NWACC institutions to carry out the project
Outcomes Assessment: Plan for evaluating the results of using the new technology, e.g., formative and summative questionnaires, objective measures, etc.

The grant committee expects that, to the degree possible, awardees will make materials resulting from the project accessible to individuals with disabilities. Likewise, we expect that awardees will take care to ensure that the development and subsequent use of project materials will not compromise network security or infringe on the privacy of individuals.

“NWACC 2006 Outstanding Grant” Award
All funded projects become eligible for NWACC’s 2006 Outstanding Grant award. The project that is judged by the NWACC Grant Committee to represent the best use of NWACC funds will receive an award of $5,000. The Outstanding Grant Award will be announced May 1, 2006. The award will be based on the information made available through the project Web site, initial progress report, and final project report. The award payment will be made to the institution of the project leader and earmarked for use at the project leader’s discretion as allowed by the policies of the institution. Winners will be invited to make a presentation about the project, its results, and its impacts at the annual NWACC Conference. NWACC will cover the cost of (one) presenter's reasonable travel and lodging expenses for that event.

Additional Information
If you have questions about the grant program, please contact NWACC at: nwacc@reed.edu or 503-777-7254 or visit the NWACC web site at: http://www.nwacc.org/grants/index.html