Downloadable Call for Proposals

Downloadable Proposal Form

Call for Proposals

The new Common Curriculum (CC) for Leadership and Global Citizenship launched in Fall 2025, and we are still seeking new courses for the CC Topics of Inquiry (TOIs).

There will be three separate grant competitions this year:

1. Grant for NEW Course
2. Grant for REVISED Courses
3. Grant for NEW Themes

This CFP is for NEW courses. You may submit more than one grant if you want to develop more than one course. A “new” course is defined as one that is not currently listed in the catalog or not currently approved to be listed in the upcoming catalog. Under this definition, courses previously offered as “Special Topics” are considered “new” and are eligible for the New Course Grant.

All courses will be considered on their own merits, but we also highly encourage proposals for courses that:

• Serve large numbers of students
• Are offered at multiple campuses
• Fulfill the TOI-1 Creativity: Design, Expression, Innovation area
• Fulfill the TOI-6L Scientific and Empirical Inquiry, Lab area AND which incorporate innovative laboratory activities that utilize atypical spaces or that can be adapted for alternate spaces outside of a standard lab setting (see details below)
• Incorporate service learning (Up to an additional $1000 available. See below.)

Proposals will be judged on the following main criteria:

• Alignment of the course’s Student Learning Objectives to both the Common Curriculum Program Learning Objectives and the TOI-specific Learning Objectives
• Plan for assessment of Student Learning Objectives
• Innovative or creative pedagogical elements
• Appropriateness for the Common Curriculum (i.e. courses at the introductory levels are especially encouraged.)

TOI-6L Scientific and Empirical Inquiry, Lab (Details)

One challenge of offering TOI-6L courses, particularly at regional campuses, is scheduling lab space. CCC+ therefore seeks innovative TOI-6L courses designed for students in non-STEM majors that maintain scientific rigor while offering students an opportunity to conduct experiments outside of a typical laboratory classroom. Possibilities include courses where:

• The lab portion of the class can be conducted outdoors or in a regular classroom
• Students are provided with reusable kits to conduct experiments*
• Other ideas? Surprise us!

*Please note that, in lieu of summer salary for the faculty member developing the course, grant funds can be used to buy the initial kits, but the department must be committed to replenishing any disposable elements of the kits. Grant funding is for one year only.

Proposal Submission

Each proposal should include:

• Thorough but concise answers to the questions in the proposal form (see supplied form for technical guidelines and requirements)
• An emailed statement of support (see template) from the department or unit head of each dept/unit involved (i.e. a course that is cross-listed with another department should have two statements of support, etc.).
• Regional Campuses: If the faculty member proposing the course is based at a regional campus, and the course being proposed will primarily be offered at that regional campus, please also have the director of course scheduling at that campus email a statement of support.

Who Can Submit

Fulltime tenure and fulltime non-tenure track faculty with the permission of their department head can submit proposals. Proposals from adjunct faculty or graduate students are generally not accepted, but an exception might be made under special circumstances and with written approval of the department head prior to the grant deadline.

Due Date

Proposals are due by 11:59pm on November 21, 2025.

Award Amount and Funding Details

Based on past ‘lessons learned,’ we are handling funding differently this year. Please note:

• ALL awards are for $6000, no more, no less. Any proposal funded will receive that amount.
• In the past, the award amount has been inclusive of fringe. That is, the amount listed included fringe so the base stipend was less than the award amount. This year, the $6000 is the base stipend, and fringe will be added on top of that.
• Funding will automatically be applied toward summer salary for anyone receiving an award, so there is no longer a budget form for this grant.
• Proposals with multiple awardees can divide the funding amongst them however they wish, or the funding can also be applied to salary for student labor. The faculty member’s home department is responsible for processing HR and payroll paperwork for student labor.
• If faculty wish to receive payment at overload pay, that must be coordinated with their department, and the department will be responsible for processing all HR and payroll paperwork.
• Faculty have the option to transfer their award to their faculty research account instead of it being used toward summer salary. Please note that – per HR – the award is not transferred to the account until the end of the grant period.
• If faculty wish to use their award to buy supplies, they may do so, but the supplies will need to either be purchased with summer salary or through research account funds. 

$1000 Service Learning Add-On

The Office of Outreach and Engagement invites applicants to this course development grant to submit course proposals that contain Service Learning for an additional $1000 stipend.*

Service Learning courses engage students in hands-on learning in collaboration with community partners. Course materials align with projects that benefit community groups, and students participate in regular reflection.

If grant winners have not participated in previous SL fellows program training, they would be accepted into the 2026 cohort.

Reach out to Christopher.Ciarcia@uconn.edu or Anne.Gebelein@uconn.edu for more information about SL or the Fellows Program, or for assistance in developing a proposal.

*Please note that, if taken as summer salary, this $1000 is inclusive of fringe ($932 salary, $68 fringe). There are a total of four awards available.

Submission

An electronic copy of the proposal should be sent to commoncurr@uconn.edu with the Subject Line “New Course Proposal - Provost’s Common Curriculum Grant.” Emails of support can be sent separately, but please be advised that proposals will not be considered for funding until the emails of support are received.

Evaluation Committee

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and representatives from CCC+ subcommittees, the Instructional Design and Development Group in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and colleagues with expertise in related areas.

Requirements for Awarded Proposals

Faculty who receive funding for their proposal will still need to submit a new course proposal form and full syllabus for the course approval process. Courses must be submitted in the Course Inventory Management (CIM) system by September 1, 2026.

Awardees are also required to attend an in-person Course Design and Development Retreat in May 13, 2026, and will be encouraged to avail themselves of other Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning resources in instructional design.

Timeline

Submission Deadline – November 21, 2025
Awards announced – By the end of January 2026
Mandatory Course Design Retreat – May 13, 2026
Summer salary paid out to awardees – Summer 2026
Course Action Request forms submitted in the system – By September 1, 2026
Course fully approved by University Senate before February 5, 2027
Course taught for the first time – AY 27-28

Contact

Email Karen McDermott at karen.mcdermott@uconn.edu or commoncurr@uconn.edu with any technical questions. For pedagogical questions, contact Jamie Kleinman at jamie.kleinman@uconn.edu.